THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 


REV.   FELIX  POWELL 


THE   TRANSFORMATION 
OF   FELIX 


BY 

REV.   FELIX  POWELL 


PORTLAND,    MAINE 
1915 


COPYRIGHT   BY 

FELIX      POWELL 

I  9  I   5 


DEDICATION 

"  I  "0  my  wife  and  children ;  to  the  mem- 
bers and  worshippers  of  the  Peoples' 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  South 
Portland;  to  the  preachers  of  the  Maine 
Conference,  and  to  all  my  friends  who 
constantly  prayed  and  helped  me  in  my 
life  struggle,  making  it  possible  for  me  to 
reach  my  present  standing  in  the  work 
of  Jesus  Christ,  is  this  little  book  lov- 
ingly dedicated. 


C  ONTENTS 


DEDICATION ^ 

PREFACE         9 

INTRODUCTION 11 

CHAPTER    I 

FELIX   AND    HIS    PARENTS 17 

CHAPTER    H 
FELIX   AND   THE    LOSS    OF   HIS   FATHER  .  .       29 

CHAPTER    HI 
FELIX    SOLD    AS   A    SLAVE 39 

CHAPTER    IV 
FELIX'S    RETURN    HOME  ....        51 

CHAPTER   V 
FELIX   AND    HIS   VISION 61 

CHAPTER   VI 
FELIX    IGNORING   HIS   MAKER  ....        75 

CHAPTER   VII 
FELIX    FINDING    HIS    LOST    CHRIST  ...        85 

CHAPTER   VIII 
FELIX    AND    THE    EXPANSION    OF   A   SOUL       .  .        99 

CHAPTER    IX 
FELIX'S    CALL  TO   THE    MINISTRY    .  .  .  .111 

CHAPTER   X 

FELIX   TACKLING    HIS   JOB 123 

CHAPTER   XI 
FELIX   AND    HIS    HELPERS 135 

CHAPTER   XII 
FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  THE  PROMISE        145 


THE    PREFACE 

'T^HIS  little  book  purports  to  give  a  rev- 
^  elation  of  the  Author's  inner  life. 
The  method  is  rather  singular  and  unique. 
The  object  for  so  doing  is  to  appeal  to  the 
reader  from  another  angle  than  most  bio- 
graphies do,  thus  making  it  doubly  inter- 
esting. 

The  reason  for  closing  each  chapter 
with  an  application  is  that  all  these  ad- 
dresses were  delivered  during  a  series 
of  revival  meetings  held  at  the  Peoples' 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South 
Portland,  Maine,  in  the  year  1914. 

There  is  no  attempt  at  literary  style  or 
form  of  expression,  but  there  is  much  of 
heart-throbbing  experience  and  a  kaleido- 
scopic presentation  of  life  to  compensate 
for  it. 

It  is  with  heart-felt  thanks  that  the 
Author  acknowledges  the  wise  counsels 

9 


THE  PREFACE 

and  timely  suggestions  received  from  Rev- 
erends Raymond  H.  Huse,  James  M,  Pot- 
ter and  last  but  not  least,  Gay  Charles 
White,  A.M.,  S.T.B.  As  a  scholar,  inde- 
fatigable toiler  and  Christian  gentleman, 
Mr.  White  has  very  few  equals.  Many  of 
his  invaluable  hours  were  spent  in  helping 
the  Author  in  putting  these  pages  into 
readable  shape. 

REV.   FELIX  POWELL 

South  Portland,  Maine 
October  6,  1915 


10 


INTRODUCTION 

\  1 /iTHOUT  Europe,  what  were  America? 
^^  We  who  were  born  here,  if  we 
have  only  provincial  minds  and  notions, 
clannish  tastes  and  associations,  may 
speak  slightingly  of  our  neighbors  of 
foreign  birth,  but  in  so  doing  we  only 
betray  how  ignorantly  and  selfishly  we 
would  bring  the  brink  of  the  waters  near 
to  our  own  doors.  Little  folk  try  to  build 
big  protections  about  themselves.  This 
country  was  discovered  not  for  itself  but 
for  the  world — not  the  New  World,  not  the 
Old  World,  but  both  worlds.  If  rational 
therefore,  the  nation  will  make  "itself  lord 
and  master  of  everything  contingent"  and 
constituent.  Without  Greece  what  were 
Rome?  If  no  one  had  ever  come  here  of 
those  who  had  been  born  elsewhere,  every 
babe  would  yet  be  a  papoose,  and  the 
men  would  paint  and  wear  feathers  yet, 
instead  of  the  women. 

We  are  what  we  are  because  we   are, 
Egyptian    and     Assyrian,    Grecian    and 


11 


INTRODUCTION 

Roman,  German  and  Russian,  French 
and  English.  "We  all  came  over."  But 
we  are  only  a  microcosm  of  the  colossal 
world  we  should  be.  Just  as  when  the 
silver  is  dissolved  in  nitric  acid,  the  solu- 
tion becomes  one  of  silver-nitrate,  so 
when  the  rest  of  the  world  is  dissolved 
in  this  Continent  the  solution  becomes 
World-American — after  that  there  is  no 
room  here  for  either  the  silver  or  the  acid; 
it  is  the  nitrate  we  are  after. 

Now,  this  chemical  solution  is  the 
Christian  solution;  the  only  solidarity 
of  countries  and  races  is  in  the  Christian 
Church,  it  is  not  I  say,  merely  a  mechani- 
cal solution  but  a  chemical  one.  The 
mere  physical  mixture  is  not  enough, 
it  must  be  a  spiritual  one.  If  races  only 
mingle,  caste  is  the  product;  if  they  mix, 
the  product  is  the  family,  father,  mother, 
brother,  sister.  To  this  end  the  nations 
must  be  regenerated.  When  the  Italian 
or  the  Frenchman  sets  about  making 
Americans  by  making  them  Christians, 
he  is  contributing  to  the  normal  world- 


12 


INTRODUCTION 

process  of  making  us  all  one,  even  as  the 
Father  and  the  Son  are  one. 

Felix  Powell,  a  product  of  the  process, 
is  giving  us  in  his  book  an  example  and 
trying  to  induce  his  clansmen  and  kins- 
men out  of  every  kindred  and  tongue  and 
people  and  nation  to  follow  his  example. 
His  experience  will  interest  every  reader 
whose  longings  are  respected  and  whose 
motives  are  sincere.  He  has  moved  multi- 
tudes profoundly  with  the  story  of  his 
life,  and  he  has  simply  substituted  for 
his  voice,  the  printed  page.  His  labora- 
tory is  a  good  one,  if  in  the  use  of  a  foreign 
language,  he  may  occasionally  misplace 
a  vessel  or  two. 

Let  me  introduce  him  please,  to  the 
American  who  welcomes  into  his  fellow- 
ship his  brothers  gathered  out  of  the  lands 
from  the  East,  and  from  the  West  and 
from  the  North  and  from  the  South. 

BISHOP   JOHN    W.    HAMILTON 
October  6,  1915 


13 


FELIX  AND  HIS  PARENTS 


THE  TRANSFORMATION 
OF    FELIX 

CHAPTER  I 
FELIX   AND    HIS   PARENTS 

HENRY  WARD  Beecher  once  said,  "I  am 
thankful  for  a  hundred  things  but  above  all 
else  for  two  things,  first,  for  parents  that  gave 
me  a  sound  constitution  and  a  noble  example. 
I  never  can  repay  what  I  got  from  them.  If 
I  were  to  raise  a  monument  of  gold  as  high  as 
the  heavens  it  would  be  no  expression  of  the 
debt  of  gratitude  which  I  owe  to  them  for  that 
which  they  unceasingly  gave  me  by  heritage 
of  body  and  by  heritage  of  soul.  Secondly, 
I  am  thankful  that  I  was  brought  up  in  cir- 
cumstances where  I  never  became  acquainted 
with  wickedness." 

As  I  read  this  beautiful  tribute  which  long 
since  fell  from  the  lips  of  America's  peerless 
preacher,  I  thought  how  clearly  it  expressed 
the  experience  of  Felix's  life  which  we  are  to 
relate  in  this  address  to-night. 

Two  souls,  diametrically  opposite  in  general 
characteristics,  met  one  day.  The  man  was 
short,  chubby,  well  framed,  strong  physically, 
never  had  a  sickness,  ache  or  personal  infirmity, 
had  no  vocation  in  life  other  than  that  of  being  a 

17 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

common  laborer.  Because  school  privileges 
had  been  denied  him,  he  could  neither  read  nor 
write.  However,  he  was  as  clean  a  man  morally 
as  any  in  the  community. 

The  young  lady  was  slender,  of  normal  height, 
not  very  beautiful,  but  gracious  and  amiable. 
She  was  as  sweet  as  a  rose,  as  fragrant  as  a  lily, 
fresh  as  the  morning  dew,  gentle  as  a  dove  and 
pure  as  an  angel.  These  two  coming  together 
in  a  pasture,  where  sheep  fed  by  the  side  of  still 
water,  fell  in  love  with  each  other  at  first  sight. 

Having  gone  through  the  form  of  proposal, 
according  to  custom,  and  having  passed  three 
years  of  an  ideal  courtship,  they  were  united 
in  holy  matrimony  by  the  law  of  the  land  and 
the  law  of  God.  Happy  they  were.  Home  they 
had  none. 

The  young  husband  being  a  member  of  a 
large  family,  found  no  room  for  them  in  his 
father's  house.  The  bride  coming  from  a  home 
where  ten  others  were  numbered  among  her 
brothers  and  sisters  thought  it  impossible  to 
seek  for  shelter  in  their  midst. 

A  farmer,  who  needed  help,  asked  Felix's 
parents  if  they  would  not  be  willing  to  make 
their  home  with  him.  The  proposal  was 
accepted,  and  without  any  contract  or  under- 
standing for  wages  or  the  length  of  time  they 
were  to  stay,  they  began  their  married  life 
here.     Both  of  them  were  sent    into  the  field 

18 


FELIX  AND  HIS  PARENTS 

to  till  the  soil  from  early  dawn  to  the  dusk  of 
the  evening. 

To  this  young  couple,  in  course  of  time,  is 
given  the  privilege  of  becoming  parents.  I 
say  privilege,  for  such  it  is.  For  who  is  more 
highly  honored  than  that  young  couple  receiving 
their  first  and  best  gift,  the  care  and  nursing  of 
a  Heaven-sent  child? 

Little  children  are  God's  greatest  gift  to  men 
because  it  is  through  them  that  we  get  the 
first  conception  of  what  Heaven  really  is.  The 
Christ  did  say,  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
Heaven."  Greatest  gift  I  say,  because  they 
are  most  potent  in  accomplishing  what  priest, 
preacher,  governor,  president,  or  king  fails  to  do. 
No  power  in  this  world  can  keep  an  alienated 
couple  together  until  a  child  is  born  to  them, 
and  behold  what  a  transformation  in  a  few 
weeks'  or  months'  time.  A  man  may  defy  the 
power  demanding  his  service  in  time  of  war 
and  succeed  in  staying  away,  but  you  touch 
the  man's  child  and  he  will  fight  to  the  death. 

To  this  young  couple,  then,  God  gives  the 
trust  of  children.  There  is  joy  in  the  home  so 
that  all  the  friends  and  relatives  are  invited 
and  a  feast  is  celebrated.  My  friends,  listen  to 
me  when  I  say  that  if  a  little  bit  of  this  spirit 
could  be  introduced  into  some  of  our  American 
families  to-day,  it  would  do  us  all  good  and  our 
on-coming    generation   would    be   different   in 

19 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

raising  larger  families.  What  a  great  oppor- 
tunity this  country  has  in  giving  to  the  world 
the  noblest  and  highest  race  that  Heaven  has 
ever  canopied! 

Felix  says  that  he  had  the  best  bringing  up 
that  any  boy  could  wish,  even  if  it  was  mingled 
with  a  few  drops  of  superstition.  On  the  day 
of  his  arrival  the  mother  sends  for  the  priest, 
and  the  time  for  his  baptism  is  appointed. 

On  that  day  the  parents  with  the  child, 
accompanied  by  two  others  known  as  sponsors, 
enter  the  church.  A  sponsor,  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  is  a  person  who  at  the  baptism 
of  the  infant,  professes  the  Christian  faith  in  its 
name  and  guarantees  its  religious  education. 
In  the  tongue  of  Felix's  country  they  are  known 
as  comparo  and  commare,  which  translated 
into  the  English,  means,  godfather  and  god- 
mother. From  the  hour  of  its  baptism,  the 
child  is  under  the  watchful  care  of  its  parents 
and  these  sponsors  and  the  priest  of  the  parish. 
How  different  this  seems  to  be  in  the  Protestant 
Church!  We  seem  to  embue  our  children  with 
a  spirit  of  independence  and  freedom  from 
matter  of  choice  and  we  had  better  let  them 
grow  up:  when  they  come  to  the  age  of  under- 
standing let  them  cast  their  own  lot  with  the 
church  of  their  preference.  When  we  take 
into  consideration  that  in  other  matters  we  do 
not  allow  them  to  act  according  to  their  lean- 

20 


FELIX  AND  HIS  PARENTS 

ing,  the  inconsistency  of  this  attitude  is  evident 
to  any  unprejudiced  mind.  I  do  not  say  that 
the  placing  of  children  within  the  church's  care 
will  make  them  Christians,  but  I  do  say  that 
we  have  a  greater  chance  in  leading  them 
toward  becoming  such. 

A  most  excellent  book,  called  "The  Soul  of 
a  Child"  written  by  Rev.  Raymond  H.  Huse, 
may  be  obtained  from  the  Methodist  Book 
Concern,  and  a  close  perusal  of  this  volume 
will  be  of  inestimable  worth  to  Christian  workers 
and  parents. 

Listen  to  Felix's  story  and  learn.  He  said 
that  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  under- 
stand anything  he  found  himself  in  the  hands 
of  the  priest,  learning  what  was  essential  for 
him  to  know  at  that  time.  There  was  no  excuse 
for  being  absent.  If  this  happened,  something 
else  would  happen  also.  That  is,  Felix  says, 
that  at  one  time  he  failed  to  put  in  an  appear- 
ance at  the  hour  appointed  and  failing  to  furnish 
a  good  excuse  he  was  commanded  to  kneel, 
not  on  a  velvet  floor,  nor  a  bare  one,  but  on  a 
handful  of  walnut  shells,  and  at  the  end  of 
ten  minutes  was  told  to  rise  only  to  see  blood 
oozing  from  his  bare  little  knees.  You  cry  out, 
"That  is  cruel;  that  is  inhuman."  Perhaps  so, 
but  Felix  has  this  to  say  about  it,  he  learned 
a  lesson  then  which  he  has  never  been  able  to 
forget,     namely,    that    the     Roman    Catholic 

21 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

Church  speaks  with  authority,  which  element 
is  greatly  lacking  among  us,  much  to  our  loss. 
This  priest  made  doubly  sure  that  before  Felix 
was  left  alone  he  knew  the  principal  teaching 
of  his  church. 

Another  part  is  done  by  the  mother.  Felix 
says  that  as  soon  as  he  got  home  from  the  church 
his  mother  would  question  him  upon  what  he 
had  there  learned,  and  more  than  once  was  made 
to  repeat  the  same  until  he  was  perfectly  sure 
of  his  knowledge. 

How  refreshing  it  is  to  read  such  a  passage 
as  the  following  from  Ruskin's  tribute  to  his 
mother,  "Though  I  have  picked  up  elements  of 
little  further  knowledge  in  mathematics,  in 
meteorology  and  Latin,  and  owe  not  a  little  to 
the  teaching  of  others,  this  maternal  instil- 
lation of  Scripture  into  my  mind  I  count  very 
confidently  the  most  essential  of  all  my  educa- 
tion." The  great  Webster  said  in  substance: 
If  I  have  been  of  any  use  to  the  world  and  met 
with  any  degree  of  success  it  is  due  to  the  Scrip- 
ture which  I  learned  at  my  mother's  knee. 

Felix  says  that  he  shall  never  forget  as  the 
evening  hour  approached  how  his  mother  would 
take  him  to  his  httle  bed  of  straw,  and  kneeling 
beside  him  would  commend  him  to  the  Father 
of  us  all,  and  to  this  day  he  can  see  that  tear- 
stained  countenance  looking  God-ward  invoking 
His  Heavenly  protection. 

22 


FELIX  AND  HIS  PARENTS 

I  think  it  is  Lamartine  who  tells  that  at  one 
time  he  saw  a  branch  torn  from  the  trunk  of 
a  willow  tree,  floating  down  on  the  surges  of 
the  mighty  river  Saona.  On  it  a  female  night- 
ingale covered  her  nest  as  it  drifted  down  the 
flowing  stream  and  the  male  on  the  wing  fol- 
lowed the  wreck,  which  was  carrying  the  object 
of  his  love. 

Ha!  friends,  though  Felix  is  many  thousand 
miles  away  from  his  mother,  yet  her  love 
follows  him  on  to  the  end  of  time.  My  people, 
especially  you  precious  mothers,  have  you  done, 
and  are  you  doing,  your  uttermost  for  your 
jewels? 

A  mother  was  sweeping  one  day,  using  her 
little  Bessie's  broom.  The  child  seeing  it 
became  very  indignant  and  demanded  the 
surrendering  of  her  property.  The  mother 
said,  "Bessie,  go  out  into  the  yard  for  a  little 
while  and  play  like  a  good  little  girl!"  But 
the  child  insisted  on  having  her  broom  before 
she  went  out,  for  she  claimed  that  her  prop- 
erty was  being  worn.  By  this  time  her  mother 
became  irritated,  and  ordered  the  child  out  or 
she  would  punish  her.  The  child  refusing  to 
go  out  unless  her  broom  was  first  given  lo  her, 
was  taken  by  the  mother  upstairs  and  after 
having  given  her  a  good  whipping  she  left  her 
alone.  Dinner  time  came,  the  father  returned 
and    asked    for    Bessie.     The    mother   in    the 

23 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

midst  of  her  toil  had  forgotten  about  her  child. 
Together  they  went  to  her  room  only  to  find 
the  child  tossing  on  her  little  bed  and  mutter- 
ing certain  peculiar  sounds  mingled  with  a  few 
words  which  her  mother  recognized  to  be 
"Please,  mamma,  please  don't  use  my  broom." 
Then  she  would  pause  a  minute  and  again 
murmur,  "It's  mine,  mother;  it's  mine,  don't 
you  use  it,  please."  The  best  medical  skill 
was  sought,  money  was  not  spared  to  obtain 
the  best,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  The  child  was 
going  fast.  Just  before  she  passed  away  she 
stretched  forth  her  tiny  hands  and  said  "Mam- 
ma, good-bye,  you  may  take  the  little  broom 
now,  you  may  keep  it  forever,  and  please, 
mamma,  forgive  Bessie  for  being  a  naughty 
girl."  And  away  she  passed  into  the  hands 
of  her  Saviour  who  said,  "Suffer  little  children 
to  come  unto  Me  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of 
such  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 

Listen,  that  mother  was  never  herself  after 
that.  But  if  you  will  pardon  me  for  coming 
home  to  ourselves  I  will  say  that  there  are 
scores  and  scores  of  mothers  in  my  presence 
to-night  who  are  just  as  cruel  as  this  lady,  be- 
cause you  are  denying  your  children  what  really 
belongs  to  them.  Your  prayers,  your  reading 
to  them  from  God's  Book,  your  reading  from 
good  wholesome  hterature,  your  leading  them 
to  the  church  on  Sunday,  your  remaining  with 

24 


FELIX  AND  HIS  PARENTS 

them  in  the  Sunday  School,  your  setting  a 
fine  Christian  example  before  them  in  uniting 
with  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ,  your  teaching 
them  day  after  day  that  it  is  right,  just  and 
their  everlasting  duty  to  place  themselves 
within  the  bounds  and  influence  of  the  mightiest 
force  for  righteousness  in  the  world  to-day, 
namely,  the  Church  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  These  and  all  these  you  are 
denying  your  children  and  some  day,  if  you  do 
not  rise  to-night  and  resolve  to  live  for  God, 
you  will  reap  what  you  are  sowing  with  large 
interest. 


25 


FELIX  AND  THE  LOSS  OF  HIS  FATHER 


CHAPTER  II 

FELIX   AND   THE    LOSS    OF   HIS   FATHER 

A  GENTLEMAN  entered  a  railway  carriage 
in  Liverpool  to  go  far  north  in  Scotland, 
and  there  sat  beside  him  a  pale,  weak  and  worn 
young  mother  and  she  had  upon  the  bend  of 
her  arm  a  strong  but  restless  baby.  Surely,  he 
thought,  "This  mother  is  not  able  to  carry  this 
child  all  these  hundreds  of  miles."  After  a  little 
he  put  the  question  to  her,  "Are  you  going  far?" 
"Yes,  I  am."  "Are  you  going  to  carry  that 
child  all  the  way?"  "Yes,  I  am."  "Will  you 
not  get  tired?  You  look  tired  now."  "I  am  not 
well,  and  I  am  tired,  and  I  do  feel  that  it  is  a  long 
way  to  go;"  and  the  tears  stole  down  her  cheek, 
"I  do  not  mind;  for  my  father  will  meet  me 
there." 

Felix,  whose  story  is  told  in  these  pages,  has 
many  loads  to  carry,  many  sins  to  weep  over, 
many  long  weary  days  of  struggle  in  the  battles 
of  hfe;  has  met,  and  perhaps  will  continue  to 
meet,  many  disappointments  and  perhaps  with 
but  little  strength  to  bear  them;  however,  he 
is  cheered  with  the  thought  that  soon  the  fight 
will  be  over,  and  he  will  meet  both  his  Heavenly 
and  his  earthly  father. 

Pathetic  indeed  is  the  story  which  he,  in  his 

29 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

rather  broken  English,  tells.  His  father  had 
now  a  large  family  to  support.  There  were  ten 
in  the  home  who  looked  to  him  for  a  living. 
His  daily  wages  on  the  farm  averaged  eighteen 
cents  per  day.  Therefore,  he  must  seek  for 
other  kinds  of  work  which  would  bring  larger 
remuneration.  In  the  northern  part  of  Felix's 
country  a  railroad  was  being  built  and  it  was 
there  that  the  father  went  in  search  for  work. 
For  three  months  or  more  he  made  thirty-five 
cents  per  day,  and  after  having  subtracted  his 
daily  existence  from  it  the  remainder  was  sent  to 
his  wife.  One  day  the  boy  Felix  gathered  his 
sheep  from  the  pasture  (for  he  was  now  a 
shepherd)  and  returned  home.  Entering  his 
one-roomed  house  he  was  confronted  with  sad 
faces,  evidently  experiencing  profound  grief. 
To  him  this  was  all  mystery.  Nor  did  anyone 
tell  him  what  it  all  meant.  All  he  can  remember 
now  is  that  there  came  a  neighbor  lady,  placing 
her  motherly  hands  upon  his  shoulders  and 
asked  him  if  he  would  not  go  with  her  and 
spend  the  night  with  her  children.  Without 
asking  any  questions  Felix  acquiesced.  After 
the  supper  was  served,  a  few  games  were 
played  and  bedtime  called  him  to  rest.  But 
Felix  could  not  go  to  sleep  very  well;  those 
sad  faces  and  tearful  eyes,  the  deep  groanings 
and  loud  crying,  kept  coming  up  before  him 
and  his  eyelids  refused  to  fold  together. 

30 


FELIX  AND  THE  LOSS  OF  HIS  FATHER 

When  morning  arrived,  breakfast  eaten, 
Felix  had  to  start  for  his  home  again  in  order 
to  gather  his  sheep  from  the  neighbor's  sheep- 
fold  and  lead  them  out  by  the  mountain  side 
for  the  day.  For  he  was  even  at  this  tender 
age  getting  four  cents  a  day,  and  thus  helping 
his  parents  to  support  the  large  family.  When 
he  reached  home  he  found  his  eldest  brother 
crying  bitterly  and  to  him  Felix  appealed  for  an 
explanation  as  to  what  all  this  meant.  At  first 
he  was  refused,  but  within  a  few  moments  Felix 
was  taken  by  the  hand  and  led  to  the  corner  of 
the  single-roomed  house  and  there  was  shown 
the  cold  form  of  him  whom  he  loved  more 
than  anyone  else  on  earth,  excepting  his 
precious  mother.  For  a  moment  he  seemed 
to  have  lost  his  senses  and  could  hardly  breathe, 
but  being  taken  away  from  his  dead  father's  side 
he  began  to  weep,  and  to  this  day  he  cannot 
think  about  the  tragedy  without  shedding  hot 
tears.  And  why?  Because  when  Felix  lost  his 
father,  he  lost  something  from  his  life  that 
nothing  in  this  world  has  ever  been  found 
to  take  its  place.  Further,  Felix  says  that  all 
the  members  of  the  family  grew  up,  and  each 
able  to  earn  a  fair  wage,  they  were  enabled  to 
provide  a  piece  of  land  with  a  pretty  little  home 
for  their  dear  mother,  and  almost  every  com- 
fort for  her,  and  the  rest  of  the  family  was  well 
looked  after  and  yet  the  sense  of  an  absent 

31 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

father,  who  was  never  to  return,  took  away  all 
the  joy  that  should  abide  in  an  ideal  home. 

When  Felix  told  me  this,  I  said  to  myself, 
here  is  a  fine  chance  for  me  to  preach  a  sermon 
on  "The  Lost  Father."  Nothing  could  take  the 
place  of  the  father  in  Felix's  life.  Games  of  all 
sorts  were  given  to  him,  a  little  money  placed 
in  his  hand,  amusements  were  provided;  and 
since  he  has  grown  up,  his  career  has  changed, 
education  has  been  his  aim,  to  serve  Jesus 
Christ  has  been  his  supreme  passion,  a  beau- 
tiful family  has  been  entrusted  to  his  care,  a 
degree  of  success  has  rewarded  his  feeble  efforts, 
many  kind  words  have  been  spoken  in  com- 
mendation upon  his  earnest  toil,  and  yet  there 
is  a  vacant  place  in  Felix's  life.  Father  was 
taken  away  from  him  when  he  was  but  a 
child. 

This  poor  dying  world  is  much  in  need  of  a 
Father,  not  so  much  of  an  earthly,  but  the 
Heavenly  Father.  Man  is  never  and  can  never 
really  be  satisfied  until  that  Father  has  come 
to  make  His  abode  in  the  heart.  The  highest 
good  in  one's  life  is  the  supremacy  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  soul.  For  this  is  the  world  cry- 
ing. God  help  me  to  bring  to  them  the  Bread 
of  Life! 

In  the  days  of  Nero  there  was  a  great  short- 
age of  food  in  Rome,  although  there  was  a 
great  abundance  in  Alexandria.    A  certain  man, 

32 


FELIX  AND  THE  LOSS  OF  HIS  FATHER 

who  owned  a  vessel,  went  down  to  the  sea- 
coast,  and  there  he  noticed  many  hungry 
people,  watching  for  the  vessels  that  were  to 
come  from  Egypt.  When  these  vessels  came  to 
the  shore  there  was  nothing  but  sand  in  them 
which  Nero  had  compelled  them  to  bring  for 
use  in  the  arena.  The  merchant  said  to  the 
shipmaster,  "Take  thou  heed  that  thou  bring 
nothing  with  thee  from  Alexandria  but  wheat 
and  corn,  for  these  people  are  dying,  and  now 
we  must  keep  our  vessel  for  this  one  business  of 
bringing  food  for  them."  "Alas,  alas"  said 
Spurgeon,  who  related  the  above,  "I  have  seen 
many  mighty  galleys  of  late  loaded  with  the 
sand  of  human  philosophy  and  speculation  and 
have  said:  nay,  I  will  bear  nothing  in  my  ship 
but  revealed  truth  of  God  and  the  mere  Bread 
of  Life  which  people  need  so  much." 

My  people,  what  each  is  crying  for  to-night 
is  the  real  Bread  of  Life.  We  will  never  be 
fully  satisfied  until  that  Bread  is  partaken  of.  A 
saint  who  had  learned  of  this  once  cried  out, 
"I  have  no  good  beside  Thee."  St.  Augustine 
exclaims,  "Lord,  give  me  Thyself."  "He  has 
all  who  has  Him  that  has  all,"  murmurs 
another  dying  hero. 

Break  Thou  the  Bread  of  Life, 

Dear  Lord,  to  me, 
As  Thou  didst  break  the  loaves 

Beside  the  sea: 

33 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

Beyond  the  sacred  page 

I  seek  Thee,  Lord: 
My  spirit  pants  for  Thee, 

0  living  Word. 

Bless  Thou  the  truth,  dear  Lord, 

To  me,  to  me. 
As  Thou  didst  bless  the  bread 

By  Galilee; 
Then  shall  all  bondage  cease, 

All  fetters  fall; 
And  I  shall  find  my  peace. 

My  all-in-all. 

A  legend  tells  this  of  Empress  Helena.  At 
one  time  she  sought  for  the  true  cross  of  Jesus 
Christ.  In  search  her  men  found  three  crosses 
of  Calvary  buried  in  the  soil.  Which  one  of 
the  three  was  the  veritable  cross  of  Christ  they 
could  not  tell  except  by  certain  tests,  A  dead 
man  was  sought  for  and  placed  on  the  first 
cross.  But  there  was  no  life  or  motion  in  him. 
Then  he  was  placed  on  the  second  and  there  was 
no  stir  in  the  dead  man.  Then  they  placed 
him  on  the  third  cross  and  life  was  imparted 
to  his  dead  form. 

This,  of  course,  was  the  cross  of  Christ. 
But  they  wanted  to  make  doubly  sure  of  it, 
and  so  they  brought  a  man  who  was  rich  in 
things  of  this  world  but  poor  in  the  possession 
of  the  things  belonging  to  the  spiritual  world. 
He  was  hungry  for  the  real  Bread  of  Life  and  was 

34 


FELIX  AND  THE  LOSS  OF  HIS  FATHER 

told  to  pray  to  the  first  cross  for  pardon  and 
peace,  but  no  answer  came.  Then  he  was  told 
to  pray  to  the  second  and  there  was  no  pardon 
found.  Finally  he  prayed  to  the  third,  and  lo 
and  behold,  the  burden  of  sin  rolled  away  and 
he  went  home  rejoicing.  This  experience  will 
be  yours  and  mine  if  we  will  but  come  just  as 
we  are,  for  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 


35 


FELIX  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 


CHAPTER   III 

FELIX    SOLD    AS   A    SLAVE 

A  SLAVE,  on  hearing  that  an  Englishman  had 
purchased  him,  gnashed  his  teeth,  knit 
his  brows,  and  declared,  with  true  pathos  and 
heartfelt  indignation,  that  he  would  never  obey 
so  unworthy  a  representative  of  the  land  of 
boasted  freedom.  On  learning  afterward,  how- 
ever, that  his  new  master  bid  for  and  bought 
him  in  order  to  bestow  upon  him  his  freedom, 
the  poor  negro  was  so  overcome  with  joy  and 
gratitude,  that  he  fell  down  at  the  feet  of  the 
man  he  had  just  vowed  never  to  serve,  and 
exclaimed,  "I  am  your  slave  forever." 

The  story  which  is  told  in  this  chapter  con- 
cerning Felix  who  was  sold  as  a  slave,  found 
a  different  kind  of  a  master  than  the  one  who 
bestowed  freedom  upon  the  negro.  Three  or 
four  years  after  Felix's  father  had  passed  away, 
his  mother  called  him  to  her  side  one  day  and 
with  tearful  eyes  asked  him  if  he  would  not  be 
willing  to  help  her  to  support  her  large  family. 
She  told  him  of  the  two  little  sisters  who  had 
not  much  to  eat  for  three  days  and  hardly  any- 
thing to  wear.  Looking  into  her  sweet  face 
Felix  said:  "Mother,  I  will  do  anything  for 
you.     I  am  your  son  and  you  can  use  me  in  any 

39 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

way  you  deem  best."  Then  she  proceeded  to 
tell  him  that  there  was  a  man  in  town  who  was 
buying  boys  from  the  age  of  seven  to  fourteen. 
He  would  pay  the  parents  eight  dollars  in  cash, 
allowing  him  to  use  the  boys  nine  months, 
namely,  from  the  first  of  September  to  the  mid- 
dle or  the  last  of  June.  To  Felix,  the  mother  told 
how  amiable  and  lovable  this  man  seemed  to  be 
and  surely  her  little  son  would  like  him.  Then 
she  asked  him  what  he  thought  about  being 
sold  to  that  man.  "Mother,"  said  Felix, 
"I  am  at  your  disposal  and  anything  that 
you  may  be  led  to  do  will  meet  with  full 
approval  by  me."  So  saying,  they  fell  into 
each  other's  arms,  and  in  the  midst  of  sobs 
the  mother  said  to  him,  "God  bless  you  my 
sweetheart." 

The  next  thing  which  Felix  remembers  is 
this,  that  a  few  days  after  he  had  that  con- 
versation with  his  mother,  there  came  to  his 
home  a  tall,  gaunt,  dark-complexioned,  middle- 
aged  man,  seeking  an  interview  with  his  mother. 
Having  conversed  with  her  for  a  little  while 
they  called  Felix  into  their  presence  and  after 
the  man  had  looked  the  boy  over,  they  dis- 
missed the  little  fellow.  After  an  hour  or  so 
the  man  left  the  house,  and  Felix  was  called 
in  by  his  mother  who  proceeded  to  tell  him 
that  he  had  been  sold  to  that  man  for  nine 
months  for  the  mere  sum  of  eight  dollars.    This 

40 


FELIX  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 

took  place  about  the  middle  of  August  and 
immediately  his  mother  began  to  make  for  him 
a  few  clothes,  and  such  apparel  as  he  was  to 
use  while  away  from  home. 

Of  course  Felix  never  dreamed  what  a  dread- 
ful experience  there  was  awaiting  him.  He 
went  about  among  his  playmates  and  neighbors, 
and  with  a  gleeful  heart,  told  them  that  soon 
he  would  go  away  from  home  to  have  a  good 
time,  as  any  and  every  boy  would  naturally 
imagine.  On  the  seventh  day  of  September, 
1879,  Felix's  master  came  back  to  gather  his 
slaves.  There  were  about  seventy  or  eighty 
of  them  that  had  been  sold  from  the  same  town. 
But  not  all  of  these  were  purchased  by  a  single 
slave  holder.  Perhaps  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no 
master  had  more  than  fifteen  of  them.  On  the 
eighth  day  Felix  said  good-bye  to  his  little 
friends  and  then  embracing  his  angelic  mother 
and  amid  a  profusion  of  tears  and  crying,  he 
departed.  All  the  food  on  which  he  was  to 
to  thrive,  during  his  long  journey  of  125  miles, 
all  his  clothing,  all  the  necessary  articles 
made  for  his  use  while  away  from  home,  were 
placed  in  a  large  bag,  and  this  bag  placed  upon 
his  little  shoulders  and  the  journey  was  on. 

These  boys  were  grouped  together  and  were 
made  to  march  like  a  company  of  soldiers. 
The  slave  masters  formed  themselves  into  two 
groups,  one  group  leading  these  young  fellows 

41 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

and  the  other  guarding  them  loehind.  No  one 
can  imagine  the  suffering  which  accompanied 
such  a  long  tramp.  FeUx  says  that  after  they 
had  travelled  one  or  more  days,  his  legs  would 
get  so  sore  that  he  could  hardly  move  them. 
When  night  came  the  boys  would  be  made  to  lie 
down  along  the  side  of  the  road,  using  their 
bags  for  pillows  and  the  bare  ground  for  their 
bedding.  Early  in  the  morning  they  were 
awakened  and  the  journey  resumed.  About 
nine  o'clock  breakfast,  consisting  of  corn  bread 
and  water,  was  indulged  in  and  often  there  was 
not  enough  of  it.  Frequently  the  boys  would 
become  so  wearied  as  to  lag  behind,  often  fall- 
ing in  a  faint,  only  to  be  raised  up  with  heavy 
blows  from  their  master,  using  an  ox  goad  for 
a  weapon.  Oh!  the  suffering,  the  weeping,  the. 
heart-rending  cry,  the  longing  to  be  home  with 
mother  again.  The  dread  that  followed  the 
contemplation  of  nine  months  of  the  worst 
kind  of  slavery  of  which  one  can  dream,  the 
hard  work  to  be  performed,  the  many  stripes  to 
be  received,  the  curses  and  profanity  to  be 
heard,  these  and  all  these  made  Felix  become 
faint. 

Five  days  passed,  at  the  end  of  which  the 
destination  was  reached.  Having  rested  a  few 
hours,  the  slave  master  commanded  that  Felix 
go  into  the  nearby  forest  and  gather  materials 
with  which  to  build  the  filthy  shanty  which 

42 


FELIX  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 

was  to  serve  as  their  home.  This  shelter  con- 
sisted of  erecting  a  few  sticks  and  fastening  few 
others  crosswise,  then  covering  them  with  long 
grass  which  was  gathered  from  the  meadows. 
If  the  winter  should  happen  to  be  colder  than 
normal  then  a  layer  of  sods  would  be  laid  over 
the  grass  making  a  very  comfortable  dwelling 
place. 

This  task  finished,  the  work  for  the  year 
began.  The  next  thing  which  Felix  was  told 
to  do  was  to  clean  the  ground  of  thorns,  briers 
and  all  the  rubbish  that  might  hinder  the 
yielding  of  a  fine  crop  of  wheat.  Then  the  soil 
was  plowed  and  wheat  sown.  To  Felix  was 
given  an  implement  resembling  somewhat  a 
hoe,  and  with  it  he  was  to  cover  the  seed. 
Three  months  or  more  were  spent  in  this  kind 
of  toil,  by  which  time  the  first  sown  wheat 
would  be  ready  for  cultivation.  When  spring 
approached  he  was  told  to  go  into  a  large 
pasture  and  rid  it  of  thistles,  creeping  briers 
and  any  other  unwholesome  herb,  that  might 
check  the  growth  of  the  grass  or  prevent  the 
cattle  from  grazing  it.  By  the  first  of  June  the 
wheat  fields  were  ready  for  their  harvest.  Hun- 
dreds of  men  were  hired  to  harvest  the  wheat, 
cutting  it  down  with  sickles  while  hundreds 
of  little  fellows  would  bind  the  sheaves  into 
large  bundles  and  placing  them  on  large  carts 
driven  by  oxen,  taking  these  bundles  to  thresh- 

43 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

ing  floors.  This  would  last  about  three  weeks, 
thus  bringing  Felix  to  the  end  of  his  slavery 
period. 

We  must  look  from  another  angle  upon 
Felix's  life  in  order  to  understand  the  pain  and 
sacrifice  which  accompanied  his  experience  as 
a  slave. 

He  said  that  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing a  man  went  around  these  huts  and  blew 
a  large  horn  to  awaken  the  boys  from  their 
slumbers.  Then  he  would  shout  boisterously 
saying,  "Up  and  get  ready,  for  in  ten  minutes' 
time  you  must  start."  Felix  said  that  it  did  not 
take  him  long  to  dress  for  he  never  undressed. 
It  was  customary  for  him  to  go  to  bed  with 
his  harness  on.  Nor  did  it  take  him  long  to  eat 
his  breakfast,  for  there  was  none  to  eat.  There- 
fore, many  a  time  he  would  venture  to  take 
another  nap  after  the  first  call,  thinking  that 
he  would  wake  up  at  the  time  when  the  second 
call  was  given,  which  was  true,  but  the  method 
used  to  awaken  him  the  second  time  was  not 
much  welcomed  by  him.  It  would  consist  of 
some  large  man  taking  him  by  his  little  legs  and 
throwing  him  flat  on  the  floor.  This  was  no 
unusual  sight  to  be  seen  almost  every  morning. 

The  next  call  was  made  by  a  man  riding  on 
horseback  and  consisted  of  a  strong  rapping  at 
the  door  with  a  heavy  rod  followed  by  a  harsh 
voice  saying,  "Out  and  start  for  such  a  place. 

44 


FELIX  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 

The  boy  who  gets  there  last  will  be  beaten 
with   many  stripes,    made   to   work   twice    as 
hard,  and   deprived   of   his   food."      "Do  you 
wonder"  said  Fehx  to  me,  "that  I  was  most 
always  at  our  destination  before  any  one  else?" 
The  distance  which  he  was  commanded  to  go 
varied  from  three  to  ten  miles.     It  is  now  dark. 
The  road  is  rough.     The  wind  blows  cold.     The 
rain,  mingled  with  some  sleet  and  snow,  may 
be  falling.     The  path  is  stony  and  strewn  with 
cutting    rocks.     Shoes    are    Unknown    articles, 
for  his  mother  could  not  afford  to  have  a  pair 
made  for  him.     Felix  had  been  robbed  both 
of    the    amount    of    sleep    necessary    and    the 
amount  and  quality  of  food  which  he  ought  to 
have  had.     He  is  now  bound  to  begin  another 
day's  work,  while  he  is  not  strong  enough  to 
carry  even  himself,  for  more  than  once  does 
he  fall  by  the  side  of  the  road,  half  asleep  and 
wearied,  only  to  be  aroused  by  the  heavy  blows 
coming  from  one  of  those  brutal  men.     Many 
a  time,  said  Felix,  the  little  fellows  would  thus 
fall  and  failing  to  get  on  their  feet  again,  they 
were   left   there   alone   and    some   would    pass 
away  into  the  arms  of  Him  who  once  said,  "Of 
such  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." 

Having  reached  the  place  where  they  were 
to  toil  for  the  day,  they  were  told  to  remove 
their  thin  outer  garments  and  commence  work. 
Felix  said    that    sometimes  it   would  be  two 

45 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

hours  before  the  first  sign  of  the  coming  day 
would  be  seen.  At  nine  o'clock  a  half  hour 
for  breakfast  would  be  given.  The  break- 
fast consisted  of  corn  bread  and  water.  An- 
other half  hour  was  given  them  at  2:30  p.m. 
after  which  work  was  resumed  until  the  hour 
when  eyes  refused  to  see.  Being  dismissed 
they  were  commanded  by  their  slave  master 
to  go  into  the  forest  and  gather  dry  wood  and 
carry  it  home  to  be  used  to  cook  their  supper 
with.  The  supper  consisted  of  boiled  corn- 
meal,  and  green  herbs  which  they  had  gathered 
from  the  fields  during  their  half  hour's  rest. 

As  Felix  went  on  telling  me  the  awful  experi- 
ence which  he  had  as  a  slave,  my  mind  began 
to  work  in  another  direction,  and  I  thought 
how  many  there  are  in  the  world  who  suffer 
much  more  than  he  ever  dreamed  of  suffering 
because  they  have  sold  themselves  to  Satan  as 
slaves  of  sin.  When  I  heard  the  story  the  words 
of  King  James  the  Second,  came  to  mind:  "My 
son,  always  remember  this,  that  there  is  no 
slavery  like  sin,  and  there  is  no  liberty  like 
God's  service."  My  people,  was  not  the  dying 
king  telling  out  our  experiences?  Was  he  not 
telling  the  world  the  two  greatest  secrets,  either 
for  a  life  of  misery  or  a  life  of  profound  joy  ? 
Slavery  of  sin  is  the  worst  kind  of  slavery 
imaginable.  You  do  not  believe,  I  see.  Well, 
then  try  to  break  yourself  away  from  that  habit 

46 


FELIX  SOLD  AS  A  SLAVE 

of  yours.  I  do  not  know  what  habit  has  got 
hold  of  you,  but  I  say  you  just  try  to  get  your- 
self away  and  lo!  what  a  struggle  you  will  have. 
Some  of  us  tried  that  very  thing  in  the  years 
gone  by  and  what  a  failure  we  made  until  we 
came  to  Him  who  is  able  to  break  every  un- 
breakable fetter.  In  our  own  city  I  fmd  men, 
slaves  to  the  drinking  habit,  and  how  many 
times  some  of  them  have  said  to  me,  "This  is 
my  last  drink;  I  will  never  do  it  again,"  and 
to-day  where  are  they?  0  God,  for  Jesus' 
sake,  pity  and  save  them!  Only  last  week  a 
sister  belonging  to  this  church,  but  who,  on 
account  of  ill  health,  is  not  able  to  be  with  us 
in  these  services,  said  to  me,  "I  have  spent 
every  cent  I  could  on  my  son,  have  resorted 
to  every  conceivable  scheme  to  save  him, 
but  it's  no  use,  it's  no  use."  And  then  weeping 
her  heart  out  in  deep  groans,  she  said,  "I  sup- 
pose I  must  go  to  the  grave  leaving  my  son 
behind  un-reformed."  Yes,  she  will,  unless  our 
great  Christ,  who  saved  Jerry  McAuley,  S.  H. 
Hadley  and  John  B.  Gough,  is  given  a  chance 
into  his  life.      God  save  him! 

Paul  had  it  right  when  he,  out  of  the  depths 
of  his  great  heart  sang  out,  "There  is  there- 
fore now  no  condemnation  to  them  who  are 
in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh 
but  after  the  Spirit,  for  the  law  of  the  Spirit 
of  life   in  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from 

47 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

the  law  of  sin  and  death.  For  what  the  law 
could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the 
flesh,  God  sending  His  Son  in  the  likeness  of 
sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin  condemned  sin  in  the 
flesh:  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might 
be  fulfdled  in  us  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh 
but  after  the  Spirit."  This  Christ  who  lib- 
erated the  mightiest  hero  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, will  set  each  of  us  free  and  we  shall  go 
home  rejoicing.  For  to  preach  deliverance  to 
those  who  are  captive  in  spirit  did  He  come. 


48 


FELIX'S  RETURN  HOME 


CHAPTER  IV 

FELIX'S    RETURN    HOME 

IT  is  said  of  Anaxagoras,  the  pliilosopher, 
that  at  one  time  when  in  the  act  of  studying 
the  stars,  his  countrymen  came  to  confer  upon 
him  an  inheritance,  in  token  of  their  apprecia- 
tion for  his  genius.  His  reply  was,  "I  wish  it 
not — these  heavens  are  my  country."  What 
"these  heavens"  were  to  the  philosopher, 
mother  and  home  were  to  Felix. 

After  the  harvest  was  over  the  slave  master 
called  Felix  to  him  and  placing  his  hands 
upon  his  shoulders  said,  "My  boy,  you  have 
been  a  faithful  little  fellow  during  these  nine 
months  and  as  a  reward  for  your  loyalty  I  am 
going  to  give  you  twenty  cents,  which  is  ten 
cents  more  than  I  am  giving  to  the  others.  You 
are  now  at  liberty  to  go  home  to  your  mother." 
Think  for  Felix  to  be  set  free  and  much  more,  to 
have  in  his  possession  twenty  cents!  Such  a 
sum  he  had  never  seen  before  nor  did  he  ever 
dream  that  some  day  he  would  be  its  proud 
possessor.  The  words  had  hardly  fallen  from 
the  lips  of  his  master,  when  he,  with  a  most 
joyful  heart,  began  to  run  toward  his  shanty 
where  he  found  the  other  fellows  packing  what 
few  rags  they  had  left  and  in  a  few  hours  their 

51 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

journey  homeward  was  started.  Words  are 
small  things  to  describe  the  joy  that  was  welling 
up  in  Felix's  soul.  One  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  of  journey  did  not  stagger  him.  He  had, 
by  this  time,  become  used  to  long  trips  and  with 
the  thought  of  going  home  to  inspire  him  such 
a  journey  was  made  doubly  easy. 

After  four  days  of  travel,  Felix  was  brought 
within  a  few  miles  of  home.  The  custom  is  for 
those  at  home,  who  have  loved  ones  away,  upon 
their  return  to  go  out  to  meet  them.  Therefore 
with  the  rest  of  them,  he  began  to  look  for  some 
one  from  his  family  but  while  others  came  to 
meet  their  boys  none  came  to  meet  him. 
However,  he  kept  up  his  courage,  for  there 
must  have  been  a  reason  for  it.  Such  a  reason 
was  afterward  justified  by  the  facts,  for  all  the 
members  of  his  home  were  working. 

As  he  came  near  home  he  saw  his  mother 
in  the  field  or  in  the  garden,  tilling  the  soil  and 
watching  over  her  two  little  girls  who  were 
playing  around  with  other  children.  Felix,  not 
being  able  to  hold  his  feelings  any  longer, 
shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Hello,  mother." 
She  stood  up  erect,  looked  around  and  failing 
to  see  him  resumed  her  work.  While  she  knew 
that  he  was  soon  to  return  home,  she  knew  not 
the  day  nor  the  hour.  Therefore,  thinking  it  to 
be  her  imagination,  she  continued  her  work  only 
to  hear  another  shout  from  him.    At  this  time 

52 


FELIX'S  RETURN  HOME 

she  ran  towards  the  direction  where  the  sound 
came  from  and  seeing  her  little  fellow  she  ran 
as  he  had  been  doing;  and  meeting,  there  was  a 
falling  into  each  other's  bosom  and  for  a  few 
moments  there  was  silence,  then  sobs  and  tears 
of  joy.  Shortly  after  she  took  him  into  her 
home  and  there  in  the  midst  of  much  rejoicing, 
she  brought  out  to  him,  the  fmest  of  sweets, 
the  most  wholesome  food  and  the  newest  of 
wine.  After  the  feast  was  over  she  gave  him  a 
fine  bath,  which  was  equivalent  to  martyrdom 
to  Felix,  because  he  had  never  had  a  bath  in 
his  life,  except  perhaps,  the  bath  which  nature 
gave  him  from  time  to  time  as  the  rain  came 
down  from  the  clouds.  This  ordeal  over,  she 
brought  out  to  him  the  finest  new  suit  of  clothes 
which  a  mother's  hands  can  produce  and  hand- 
ing it  to  him  said,  "My  darling  boy,  from  the 
time  you  left  home  I  have  spent  every  spare 
moment  in  making  this  suit  for  you.  It  is  all 
your  own,  you  must  wear  it  so  that  you  vv^ill 
look  well  among  the  neighbors'  children." 

Felix  said  that  his  mother  used  to  tell  him 
about  Heaven  somewhere  up  in  the  sky  but 
he  said  that  if  the  experience  in  Heaven  is  to  be 
anything  like  that  which  he  was  then  enjoying, 
of  course  he  wanted  to  go  there. 

Let  us  leave  Felix  for  a  few  moments  and 
see  what  we  can  learn  from  what  has  already 
been  said.    In  the  first  place,  Felix  said  that  the 

53 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

thrill  which  went  through  his  heart  and  soul 
when  he  met  his  mother  was  of  such  a  nature 
that  it  could  not  be  described  by  human  tongue. 
And  I  thought  how  true  this  is  with  every 
one  who  has  been  sold  as  a  slave  to  Satan  and 
has  been  in  his  grip  for  years,  but  is  after- 
wards, through  the  power  of  Jesus  Christ,  set 
free,  and  is  once  more  face  to  face  with  his 
Heavenly  Father.  Felix  was  never  really  happy 
so  long  as  he  was  away  from  his  mother  and  that 
which  was  true  in  his  case  was  likewise  true  with 
her.  Every  father  and  mother  knows  what  I 
am  saying  here.  Here  it  is,  every  soul  away 
from  God  is  not  enjoying  life,  meanwhile  God's 
heart  bleeds  in  having  that  soul  away  from  home. 
When  the  Bible  speaks  of  God  causing  His  only 
Son  to  be  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world 
that  is  the  equivalent  of  saying  that  He  experi- 
enced agony  of  soul.  But  Oh!  the  joy  of  that  soul 
that  comes  in  contact  with  the  soul  of  God  again. 
Only  last  night  in  this  very  room,  a  young 
lady  gave  her  heart  to  God  and  she  being 
present  to-night  I  am  going  to  ask  her  whether 
these  last  twenty-four  hours  have  not  been  the 
happiest  in  her  life.  "Yes"  she  says  and  every 
one  of  us  who  has  been  home  for  sometime  knows 
that  she  is  telling  God's  eternal  truth.  Every 
man  and  woman  who  has  returned  home  to 
our  Heavenly  Father's  house  knows  something 
of  the  joy  of  the  Lord  which  is  our  strength. 

54 


FELIX'S  RETURN  HOME 

Mozart,  who  gave  himself  to  God  when  but  a 
mere  boy,  said,  "Whatever  is  according  to  His 
will  is  according  to  mine;  therefore  I  cannot  fail 
to  be  happy  and  content  and  sing  the  praises 
of  God." 

When  the  poet  Carpani  enquired  of  his  friend 
Haydn,,  how  it  happened  that  his  church 
music  was  always  cheerful,  the  great  composer 
made  a  most  beautiful  answer  saying,  "I  can- 
not make  it  otherwise;  I  write  according  to  the 
thoughts  I  feel:  when  I  think  upon  God,  my 
heart  is  so  full  of  joy  that  the  notes  dance  and 
leap,  as  it  were,  from  my  pen:  and  since  He 
has  given  me  a  cheerful  heart,  it  will  be  par- 
doned me  that  I  serve  Him  with  cheerful 
spirit." 

Mr.  G.  Gogerly,  in  his  book  "The  Pioneer" 
tells  a  very  interesting  experience  which  he 
once  had  as  a  worker  among  the  Indians. 
While  in  Bengal,  his  converted  Hindoos  would 
sing  as  to  almost  rend  the  vaulted  sky.  One 
day  he  told  the  leader  that  they  might  sing 
more  softly.  The  answer  which  that  leader 
gave  him  he  never  forgot.  "Sing  more  softly, 
you  say?  Did  you  ever  hear  us  sing  the  praises 
of  our  Hindoo  gods?  How  we  throw  our  heads 
back  and  with  all  our  might  shouted  out  the 
praises  of  those  who  are  no  gods.  No,  sir,  we 
cannot— we  must  express  in  louder  tones  our 
gratitude  to  Him  who  loved  us  and  died   for 

55 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

us."  Fine  answer  this,  for  we  Americans  have 
no  fault  to  find  with  those  patriots  who  sing 
our  national  songs  with  the  true  spirit  of  patri- 
otism. But  why  should  we  fmd  fault  with 
any  one  who  may  be  making  his  boast  unto  the 
Lord? 

Again  you  will  remember  what  Felix  said 
about  his  mother  having  prepared  a  fine  new 
suit  and  giving  it  to  him  said,  "This  is  yours  to 
wear  so  that  you  may  look  decent  among  the 
children  in  the  neighborhood."  Yes,  and  that  is 
what  God  will  do  with  every  one  who  returns  to 
Him.  He  will  clothe  us  with  the  right  mind 
and  put  on  us  a  robe  of  righteousness.  That's 
what  the  young  prodigal's  father  did  when  that 
wa^^vard  boy  returned  home,  new  shoes,  fine 
ring  and  best  robe  put  on  him  and  there  was 
rejoicing  in  the  house. 

This  mother  had  been  preparing  the  suit  for 
a  long  time,  and  all  this  unbeknown  to  Felix. 
God  made  provision  for  our  redemption  even 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world  and  all  this 
unbeknown  to  us.  To-night  He  asks  of  us  to 
forsake  our  sins,  ask  for  His  pardon,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  submit  ourselves  to  Him  forever 
and  He  will  see  to  it  that  all  our  needs  will  be 
supplied  according  to  His  riches  in  glory  by 
Christ  Jesus. 

When  I  was  pastor  in  the  city  of  Berlin, 
N.  H.,  there  came  to  our  house  one  evening  a 

56 


FELIX'S  RETURN  HOME 

young  man  who  had  been  traveUng  from 
Montreal.  After  having  told  his  story  of  hard- 
ship, misfortune,  etc.,  he  asked  for  some  under- 
clothing as  he  was  suffering  from  cold.  Looking 
into  my  wife's  face  I  said,  "I  guess  I  had  better 
give  him  the  underclothes  that  I  am  now  wear- 
ing." And  why?  because  they  were  the  very 
best  I  had.  So  retiring  into  my  study  I  dis- 
robed myself  and  calling  the  young  man  in  told 
him  to  put  them  on.  While  removing  his  shoes 
he  looked  up  to  me  and  said,  "Sir,  you  know 
that  I  cannot  pay  for  these  good  clothes  and 
therefore  if  you  care  to  help  me  at  this  hour  of 
need  you  had  better  give  me  a  pair  of  your  old 
ones."  I  said  to  him,  "Sir,  you.  came  for  help 
and  I  am  only  too  glad  to  help  you;  put  them 
on,  go  on  your  way  and  the  blessing  of  God  rest 
upon  you."  Then  tears  flowed  down  that 
young  fellow's  face  and  he  said  brokenly,  "I 
shall  never  forget  you  for  this." 

My  friends  away  from  Jesus  Christ,  let  me 
say  to  you  that  God  through  Jesus  Christ  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  will  do  that  and  a  thousand 
times  more  for  you  as  soon  as  you  are  bitterly 
sorry  over  the  way  you  have  treated  Him, 
and  then  ask  Him  to  do  for  you  what  He 
would  for  any  child  of  His  and  you  will  find 
Him  ready  to  do  for  you  far  more  than  you  are 
able  to  ask,  or  think,  according  to  His  power 
which  worketh  in  you. 

57 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

Lastly,  Felix  says  that  his  mother  had  pre- 
pared for  him  the  very  best  of  sweets  and  said, 
"Eat  all  you  want.  I  have  made  them  for 
you."  Is  there  not  a  soul  here  to-night  who 
is  hungry  and  thirsty  after  righteousness? 
Blessed  are  you  then,  for  you  shall  be  filled.  In 
my  Father's  house  there  is  plenty  and  to  spare. 
And  if  He  feed  you  with  the  Bread  of  Life  you 
will  never  hunger  again.  "Ho,  every  one 
that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he 
that  hath  no  money;  Come  ye,  buy  and  eat; 
Yea,  come  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money 
and  without  price.  Wherefore  do  you  spend 
money  for  that  which  is  not  bread  and  your 
labor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not?  Harken 
diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is 
good  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness." 


58 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 


CHAPTER  V 

FELIX   AND    HIS   VISION 

A  SAINT  once  cried,  "O  blessed  vision!  to 
which  all  others  are  penal  and  despicable! 
Let  me  go  into  the  mint  house  and  see  heaps 
of  gold,  and  I  am  never  the  richer;  let  me  go 
to  the  pictures  and  see  goodly  faces,  I  am 
never  the  fairer;  let  me  go  to  the  court,  where 
I  see  state  and  magnificence,  and  I  am  never 
the  greater;  but  ho.  Saviour!  I  cannot  see  Thee 
and  not  be  blessed.  Ho,  let  me  be  unquiet 
till  I  shall  see  Thee  as  I  am  seen." 

In  the  last  address  we  saw  Felix  brought  home 
to  his  mother  and  to  enjoy  all  that  mother 
had  for  him.  He  was  then  about  ten  years 
of  age  and  from  that  time  until  the  hour 
when  he  had  the  vision,  which  he  relates  in 
this  address,  he  busied  himself  in  doing  all  kinds 
of  manual  labor.  For  two  or  three  years  he 
was  a  shepherd.  After  that  he  went  to  work 
for  a  telegraph  and  telephone  company,  not 
that  he  was  a  telegraph  operator,  but  that 
he  dug  holes  in  the  ground  into  which  poles 
were  put.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  went  to 
work  for  another  company  that  was  boring  a 
tunnel  through  a  mountain  and  for  his  wage 
he  received  the  daily  sum  of  forty-seven  cents, 

61 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

which  was  the  greatest  pay  he  had  ever  re- 
ceived in  the  old  country. 

At  the  age  of  twenty  he  was  drafted  by  the 
government  to  serve  his  country  as  a  soldier 
for  the  period  of  three  years.  There  were  two 
things  which  kept  him  from  going.  First, 
his  father  being  dead,  the  oldest  son  in  the 
family,  according  to  the  law  of  the  country  at 
that  time,  had  become  the  head  of  the  family 
and  for  this  reason  he  was  not  reckoned  as  one  of 
the  sons.  Second,  this  being  the  case,  the  second 
son  became  evidently  the  first  and  thus  bring- 
ing Felix  to  be  counted  as  the  second  son  and 
as  the  law  is,  that  the  government  can  only  take 
every  other  son  in  the  family,  it  therefore  took 
the  first  son,  leaving  him  free.  This  meant 
that  he  could  go  into  any  other  country  with- 
out being  hindered  by  the  law  of  the  land, 
which  thing  is  not  true  with  the  young  men  who 
have  served  as  soldiers.  They  are  not  at  liberty 
until  the  age  of  thirty-nine  is  reached. 

Felix  says  that  an  uncle  of  his,  who  had  been 
in  North  America  for  a  period  of  thirteen 
years,  now  returned  home  to  take  his  wife  with 
him.  During  his  stay  in  the  home  town  this 
uncle  used  to  stand  on  the  street  corners  and 
be  everlastingly  telling  of  the  glory  of  the  New 
World.  He  spoke  of  its  beautiful  scenery,  of 
its  wonderful  forests,  of  its  glorious  natural 
resources  and  the  opulence  of  its  vast  wealth. 

62 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 

He  would  tell  the  young  men,  who  congregated 
around  him,  that  the  people  were  beautiful  to 
look  upon,  that  they  were  kind-hearted  and 
full  of  generosity,  that  the  ladies  were  like 
angels  and  the  children  Uke  cherubs,  that  the 
poorest  home  was  as  well  furnished  as  the 
wealthiest  in  the  home  town,  and  that  in 
America,  the  common  laborer  dressed  as  well  as 
the  doctor  or  a  lawyer.  Further,  he  would 
relate  how  easy  it  would  be  for  a  young  man 
to  get  rich,  for  the  demand  for  labor  was  con- 
stant and  its  remuneration  beyond  one's 
expectation,  and  that  if  one  were  very  careful, 
he  would,  in  a  short  time,  save  thousands  of 
dollars  and  therefore  become  rich. 

All  this,  of  course,  set  Felix's  young  mind 
to  work.  Had  he  no  love  for  beauty  and 
grandeur?  Was  not  he  an  aspirant  to  see  the 
New  World?  Why  not  come  in  contact  with 
such  a  fine  people?  And  did  he  not  have  a 
sweetheart  for  whom  he  was  seeking  the  best 
there  was  in  ever^^  sense  of  the  term?  And 
why  not  go  to  such  a  country  and  accumulate 
so  much  money  and  return  and  purchase  a 
fine  strip  of  land  and  build  upon  it  a  beautiful 
mansion,  and  live  happily  with  his  expected 
wife?  All  this  he  saw  one  night  as  he  tried 
to  sleep.  How  real  it  all  was  and  how  easy  to 
obtain  it  all,  he  only  could  understand. 

Like  a  dutiful  boy  he  communicated  all  this 

63 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

to  his  mother  only  to  be  met  with  the  coldest 
reception  thinkable.  To  her  he  was  dear.  He 
had  been  her  stay  and  staff  and  source  of 
inspiration.  But  the  idea  of  going  to  another 
country!  Preposterous!  However,  Felix  kept 
pleading  with  her  until  finally  she  gave  her 
consent.  The  next  question  to  be  solved  was 
that  of  finance.  Twenty-five  dollars  were 
needed  in  order  to  purchase  his  ticket.  As 
such  a  sum  of  money  there  is  equivalent  to 
two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  here,  the  finding 
of  the  same  was  almost  beyond  possibiUty. 
One  day  Felix's  mother  went  to  see  her  land- 
lord and  asked  him  if  he  could  loan  her  that 
sum,  which  thing  he  did  with  the  understanding 
that  within  six  months  she  was  to  return  fifty 
dollars  or  lose  a  portion  of  her  property  which 
the  children  had  accumulated  for  her. 

While  his  mother  was  seeking  the  money, 
Felix  went  telling  his  dream  to  his  little  girl 
friend  and  saying  that  if  she  would  be  patient 
and  wait  for  him  eighteen  or  twenty  months,  at 
most,  he  would  come  back  with  so  much  money 
and  their  united  life  would  be  a  journey  of  bliss. 
Felix  said  he  shall  never  forget  the  manner  in 
which  she  looked  him  over,  a  long  pause, 
and  forming  a  queer  expression  on  her  coun- 
tenance, said  in  a  rather  sarcastic  way,  "What 
a  poor  fool  you  are."  He  thinks  that  she  was 
just  about  right. 

64 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 

The  money  being  obtained,  the  ticket  pur- 
chased, the  twenty-fifth  day  of  January,  1891, 
arrived  and  the  voyage  for  the  far-off  land  of 
his  vision  was  to  be  undertaken.  Farewells 
were  exchanged,  good-byes  said,  and  tears  were 
in  evidence  on  every  face.  Hard  it  was  to  leave 
all  his  friends  and  playmates  behind  him,  but 
the  parting  from  his  mother  and  that  young 
woman,  who  was  slowly  stealing  her  way  into 
his  heart,  that  was  about  as  much  as  a  young 
stripling  of  twenty-one  could  stand.  However, 
he  succeeded  in  separating  from  them  and 
Naples  was  reached  on  the  twenty-seventh. 
On  the  twenty-ninth  he  boarded  the  steamer, 
and  just  about  sunset  the  voyags  began.  It  was 
one  of  those  beautiful  winter  evenings  so  often 
witnessed  in  Italy.  The  setting  of  the  sun  was 
grandeur  itself,  the  lights  illuminating  that 
horseshoe  shaped  port  of  Naples  had  just  been 
turned  on.  Mt.  Vesuvius  was  puffing  vast 
clouds  of  smoke  toward  God's  blue  sky,  the 
stars  M'ere  just  beginning  to  make  their  eve- 
ning appearance,  the  band  was  playing  on  the 
shore,  the  people  were  waving  their  banners 
and  flags;  and  amid  sobs,  tears  and  shouts,  the 
Mediterranean  water  was  plowed  by  the  giant 
ship.  From  Naples  to  Gibraltar  the  voyage 
was  simply  grand.  The  water  was  smooth,  the 
air  was  clear  and  balmy,  the  wind  was  still  and 
what  glimpse  of  land  could  be  seen  was  most 

65 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

interesting.  Having  reached  Gibraltar  and 
tarried  there  two  days,  the  captain  gave  com- 
mand to  start  for  New  York.  After  he  had  been 
on  the  North  Atlantic  water  for  a  half  day  or 
so,  the  scene  began  to  change.  The  sky  began 
to  darken,  the  wind  began  to  blow  heavily,  the 
waves  began  to  rise  and  the  sea  roar,  the 
steamer  began  to  rock,  and  the  people  were 
making  their  way  to  their  berths.  Felix  held  in 
all  he  could,  and  as  long  as  he  could,  but  even- 
tually his  internal  region  began  to  get  dis- 
turbed and  his  head  became  dizzy,  he  was 
compelled  to  seek  for  his  berth  also,  and  said  he, 
"For  seven  or  eight  days  I  was  really  seasick. 
So  much  so  that  I  could  not  retain  any  kind 
of  food  and  my  everlasting  cry  was,  T  want 
to  go  back  and  die  on  my  mother's  bosom.'" 
When  the  interpreter  learned  what  he  was 
saying  in  his  anguish  he  shouted  out,  "That 
young  fellow  must  be  a  little  fool.  We  can't 
go  back  for  him."  After  twenty-nine  days  of 
rough  sailing  he  found  himself  in  New  York 
harbor. 

About  midnight  he  heard  a  cry  among  his 
countrymen  saying,  "We  are  in  New  York! 
We  are  in  New  York!"  Felix  arose  and  went 
on  the  deck  only  to  be  disappointed,  for  he 
could  not  see  anything  on  account  of  a  thick 
fog  jesting  on  the  water.  After  a  few  hours 
more  of  sleep  he  was  awakened  and  told  that 

66 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 

the  new  world  could  be  clearly  seen.  He  ran 
upstairs,  lo  and  behold!  there  was  the  most 
interesting  city  in  the  world.  Within  a  few 
hours'  time  Felix's  feet  touched  the  soil  of 
North  America  and  he  saw  a  little  bit  of  it 
with  his  own  eyes.  His  dream  or  vision  of 
many  years  previous  had  now  become  fulfilled, 
was  actually  realized. 

My  people,  listen  to  this:  as  Felix  told  me 
this  simple  but  amazingly  interesting  dream  or 
vision  of  his  I  thought  how  truly  this  might  be 
applied  to  us  spiritually.  First,  God  gives  us  a 
vision  of  the  new  land  and  new  life  which  we 
might  have. 

This  vision  is  brought  about  in  many  ways. 
Perhaps  we  have  lived  with  some  sainted  man 
or  woman  whose  life  was  a  constant  benediction 
and  we  have  been  led  to  say  something  like 
this,  "There  is  reality  in  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  or  this  person  could  not  be  what  he  or 
she  is.  Some  day  I  am  going  to  choose  his 
Christ  for  my  personal  Saviour;"  or  perhaps 
we  have  seen  some  loved  one  or  a  friend  pass 
away  into  a  better  world  and  we  have  asked 
them,  as  I  heard  Dr.  D.  B.  Holt,  my  District 
Superintendent  only  a  few  days  ago  say,  that 
when  his  father  was  dying  he  was  asked, 
"How  is  it  with  your  soul?"  he  sweetly  smiled 
and  calmly  answered,  "It's  all  clear  ahead." 
I  say  we  have  seen  some  one  slip  away  like  that 

67 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

and  we  have  said,  "Yes,  I  have  seen  the  Lord 
carrying  him  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
and  I  am  going  to  choose  his  Christ." 

Or  perhaps  you  had  been  reading  the  wonder- 
ful book,  your  eyes  were  opened,  you  saw  your- 
self as  God  saw  you,  you  heard  His  voice 
saying,  "Give  me  thine  heart,"  and  you  said 
"Yes,  there  is  a  world  other  than  this,  and  by 
the  grace  of  God  some  day  I  am  going  to  start 
for   iL" 

Or  perhaps  Jesus  Christ  has  directly  spoken 
to  you,  as  He  spoke  to  the  fishermen  by  the 
seaside  of  Galilee  and  you  could  not  mistake 
His  sweet  calling,  and  you  said,  "Yes,  my  Lord, 
I  am  coming,  I  do  not  know  when,  but  I  am 
coming."  Yes,  my  people,  God  is  under 
obligation  both  to  you  and  to  Himself  to  give 
you  a  vision  of  the  other  world.  If  not,  then 
His  final  judgment  would  not  be  justly  pro- 
nounced. 

The  second  lesson  I  learned  from  Felix's 
story  is  this,  that  it  was  his  mother  who 
provided  means  for  his  journey  to  his  new 
world.  It  was  she  who  went  as  a  surety  and 
became  responsible  for  his  debt.  Had  he 
depended  upon  his  own  means  he  would  never 
have  reached  that  land.  Is  this  not  so  with  the 
plan  of  redemption?  God,  after  He  had  almost 
exhausted  Heaven  by  giving  His  prophets  and 
patriarchs,  laid  hold  on  His  own  beloved  Son 

68 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 

and  Jesus  Christ  humbled  Himself  and  became 
obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the 
Cross  in  order  that  He  might  provide  a  free 
passage  to  our  Heavenly  Home.  He  became 
our  eternal  surety  and  we  can  purchase  a 
through  ticket  without  cost  to  us,  for  "the 
Lord  hath  laid  upon  Him  the  iniquity  of  us 
all."  While  leaving  the  loved  and  dear  ones 
behind  us,  who  care  nothing  about  going  with 
us,  brings  bitter  pain  and  seems  almost  to 
break  our  hearts,  and  while  on  our  own  jour- 
ney we  may  encounter  fierce  storms  of  per- 
secution we  are  told  not  to  forget  that  Jesus 
Christ  prophesied  all  these  things  for  His  fol- 
lowers, for  in  the  world,  "ye  shall  have  tribu- 
lation," but  we  are  not  to  forget  that  that 
same  infallible  Pilot  also  said,  "Be  of  good 
cheer,  for  I  have  overcome  the  world.  For 
all  things  shall  work  together  for  good  for  all 
them  who  love  the  Lord."  And  that  this 
"Light  affliction  which  is  but  for  a  moment, 
worketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory,"  for  we  are  not  journeying 
toward  a  land  that  is  material,  but  spiritual 
and  eternal.  It  has  been  said  that  great 
characters  and  great  souls  are  like  mountains 
— they  always  attract  storms  upon  their  heads 
and  break  the  thunders,  and  around  their  bare 
crests  flash  the  lightning  and  the  seeming 
wrath  of  God.     And  yet  they  form  the  shelter 

69 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

for  the  plains  beneath  them.  That  marvelous 
saying  finds  an  illustration  in  the  lowliest  and 
saddest  soul  in  the  world — the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Higher  than  the  tallest  of  men,  around 
His  head  seems  to  beat  the  very  storm  of  sin 
and  yet  beneath  the  sheltering  of  His  great 
consoling  spirit,  is  the  world  filled  with  its 
millions  of  pilgrims,  who  have  found  refuge, 
and  when  they  meet  with  smaller  storms  of 
life  they  are  to  remember  that  the  great  Pilot 
has  been  there  and  knows  how  to  steer  them 
through,  safely  home. 

Lastly,  Felix  actually  reached  the  land  of 
his  vision.  He  saw  it  with  his  eyes  and  touched 
it  with  his  feet  and  if  there  should  arise  a 
million  of  men  swearing  to  the  contrary,  say- 
ing that  he  had  never  seen  and  touched  that 
land  Felix  would  still  know  as  an  actual  fact 
that  he  did  see  and  touch  that  land. 

What  a  beautiful  lesson  there  is  for  every 
saint  here!  If  each  of  us  has  not  been  dis- 
obedient to  our  Heavenly  vision  but  availed 
ourselves  of  the  provision  made;  started  out 
toward  seeking  a  spiritual  experience  until  we 
receive  it;  and  now,  the  scoffer  and  the  infidel 
and  the  skeptic  and  the  liberal  and  what  not 
stand  up  and  try  to  refute  that  there  is 
such  an  experience  and  we  will  shout  right 
aloud,  "I  know  whom  I  have  believed  and  am 
persuaded  that  He  is  able  to  keep  that  which 

70 


FELIX  AND  HIS  VISION 

I  have  committed  unto  Him  against  that  day." 
We  shall  be  able  to  say  as  the  blind  man  in 
God's  book,  "This  one  thing  I  know,  whereas 
once  I  was  blind  now  I  see."  An  infidel  once 
said  to  a  saintly  old  woman,  "How  do  you  know 
that  the  Bible  is  true?  What  proof  have  you 
of  its  truth?"  "My  experience — ^the  experience 
of  my  heart,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "Ho,"  said 
he  contemptuously,  "your  experience  is  nothing 
to  me."  "That  may  be  true,  sir,  that  maybe 
true,"  was  the  reply,  "but  it  is  everything  to 
me."  From  that  time  the  scoffer  had  nothing 
to  say. 

My  people,  why  not  to-night  start  to  fulfil 
the  longing  and  yearning  of  your  heart?  Why 
not  to-night  launch  out  into  the  deep  and  sail 
for  Canaan's  shore?  If  so,  then  you  will  go 
home  saying,  "I  have  heard  of  Thee  by  hearing 
of  the  ear,  but  now  I  see  Thee  with  mine  eyes." 


71 


FELIX  IGNORING  HIS  MAKER 


CHAPTER  VI 

FELIX    IGNORING   HIS    MAKER 

EVERY  sin  we  commit  is  like  taking  a 
step  backward  from  God;  and  return  is 
rendered  impossible  without  Divine  assistance," 
as  Satan  cuts  the  bridges  behind  man  in  his 
retreating  downward  path;  and  also  as  every 
false  step  necessitates  another  as  the  author  of 
the  Waverly  novels  has  so  well  said: 

Ho,  what  a  tangled  web  we  weave,' 
When  first  we  practice  to  deceive ! 

Or  again  as  Schiller  more  philosophically 
put  it: 

This  is  the  very  curse  of  an  evil  deed, 
That  of  a  new  evil  it  becomes  the  seed. 

In  the  last  address  we  brought  Felix  to  the 
United  States  of  America.  We  will  not  tell  you 
what  he  said  concerning  the  hard  experiences 
relative  to  his  failure  in  seeking  some  one  who 
might  have  been  interested  in  him,  to  help  him 
in  this  time  of  need,  the  lack  of  demand  for 
labor,  the  disappointment  of  not  finding  money 
on  the  streets,  as  he  had  heard  his  uncle  tell 
in  the  old  country,  and  the  seeming  indifference 
of  the  American  people  toward  the  foreigners. 

75 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

The  absence  of  his  mother's  prayers  and 
influence,  the  getting  away  from  his  home 
church,  the  removal  of  the  seeming  dread  for 
doing  wrong  because  away  from  the  priest,  who 
would  have  punished  him  for  it,  these  and  all 
these  were  stepping-stones  leading  him  to  take 
the  course  which  I  am  now  to  relate. 

The  first  step  which  Felix  took  toward 
ignoring  his  Maker  was  when  he  learned  how 
to  use  tobacco.  This  filthy  habit  he  began  to 
form  when  still  in  the  old  country.  One  day, 
while  walking  with  some  boys  of  about  his 
own  age,  he  was  offered  a  sweet  cigarette. 
Instantly  he  refused  to  take  it  and  threatened 
to  leave  them  if  further  imposition  were 
made.  The  fellows  began  to  laugh  at  him  and 
said  that  he  would  never  amount  to  a  great 
deal  and  would  always  be  shunned  by  other 
fellows  if  he  neglected  to  learn  how  to  smoke  the 
weed. 

Therefore  just  to  please  them  and  without 
the  least  idea  of  ever  taking  it  up  for  constant 
use  he  took  the  cigarette  and  after  a  few  puffs 
from  it,  he  remembers  finding  himself  whirl- 
ing around  and  around,  becoming  extremely 
dizzy,  and  the  next  thing  he  knew  he  was  lying 
by  the  roadside  and  feeling  as  though  his  last 
day  was  drawing  nigh.  But  this  did  not  last 
very  long,  and,  like  most  young  fellows,  instead 
of  taking  this  as  a  warning,  he  was  naturally 

76 


FELIX   INGNORING  HIS  MAKER 

informed  that  the  next  cigarette  would  not 
effect  him  as  the  first  and  shortly  he  would 
not  feel  it  at  all,  but  on  the  other  hand,  would 
have  a  love  for  it  and  thus  be  thought  of  as  a 
full  young  man  who  knew  a  good  .thing  when 
he  saw  it.  It  was  not  very  long  before  Felix 
found  himself  smoking  from  five  to  fifteen  cigars 
a  day  and  with  this  the  waning  of  his  general 
health. 

The  first  step  toward  forming  a  questionable 
habit  led  Felix  into  the  second.  From  a  child 
he  always  had  an  innate  repulsion  toward  any 
kind  of  beverage,  except,  of  course,  water. 
When  he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  his  own 
precious  mother  informed  him  that  the  drink- 
ing of  a  few  glasses  of  wine  a  day  would  not 
do  him  any  harm  but  on  the  contrary,  it  would 
increase  his  vitality  and  fit  him  for  proper 
social  life  among  the  young  people  of  his  class 
who  always  indulged  freely  of  such  drink. 
At  first  he  refused  to  take  anything,  but  being 
approached  by  her,  on  a  certain  warm  day, 
with  a  glass  of  wine  mixed  with  water  he 
yielded,  with  the  result  that  within  a  few 
months  he  had  formed  the  habit  of  drinking 
the  strongest  and  the  oldest  of  wine,  until  one 
day  he  was  taken  home,  drunk. 

Coming  to  America  and  failing  to  find  the 
pure  wine  at  a  reasonable  price  he  learned  to 
drink  beer  and  from  that  to  whiskey  and  other 

77 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

kinds  of  intoxicants.  Though,  let  it  be  said 
here  lest  we  misunderstand  him,  Felix  never 
became  what  one  would  call  a  heavy  drinker. 

One  day  he  met  a  man  who  had  been  in  this 
country  for  about  eighteen  years  and  had  served 
as  middle  man  between  contractors  and  the 
laboring  class  among  the  Italian  people,  but 
who  failed  to  get  men  because  he  had  dealt  dis- 
honestly with  them  in  the  past.  He  asked  Felix 
to  get  one  hundred  men  for  him  and  for  pay- 
ment he  would  give  him  a  job  as  boss  at  two 
dollars  per  day  and  so  much  per  week  for  being 
storekeeper  for  these  people.  This  proposition 
strongly  appealed  to  Felix  and  therefore  he 
became  a  storekeeper  for  these  ItaUans  which 
meant,  of  course,  the  dealing  of  strong  drink 
also.  Thus  in  eight  years'  time  he  had  developed 
from  being  an  innocent  young  fellow  to  that 
of  being  behind  the  bar.  Have  you  under- 
stood him  yet?  The  first  step  on  his  down- 
ward road  was  smoking,  then  drinking  and 
thirdly,  saloonkeeper,  and  you  wonder  that  we 
hear  him  say  that  he  found  himself  gambling 
with  desperation. 

Saturday  night  came,  he  received  his  envel- 
ope, he  had  no  board  to  pay  and  therefore, 
during  the  first  six  months  after  his  arrival  in 
America  he  saved  one  hundred  dollars  or  more 
and  the  same  was  sent  to  his  mother,  fifty  dollars 
of  which  she  paid   that   vampire,  who  loaned 

78 


FELIX  IGNORING  HIS  MAKER 

her  twenty-five  dollars  to  pay  for  her  boy's 
ticket,  and  fifty  dollars  for  herself.  But  after 
he  had  been  in  this  country  for  nearly  a  year, 
his  bad  habits  began  to  get  a  strong  hold  upon 
him  and  night  after  night,  after  the  Saturday's 
pay,  he  spent  in  gambling,  kept  at  it  all  day 
Sunday  and  Sunday  night,  and  many  Monday 
mornings  he  found  himself  without  money  and 
without  strength  to  go  to  work.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  he  was  in  perfect  agony  of  soul  all 
the  time. 

Why  all  this?  Simply  because  he  had  by 
this  time  reached  the  climax  in  the  catalogue 
of  sin,  namely,  profanity.  Among  his  people 
there  was  a  man  who  knew  how  to  write  a 
little  and  was  devil  enough  to  write  two  or 
three  verses  of  what  he  called  poetry,  every 
word  of  which  was  vile  and  then  he  made 
Felix  commit  it  to  memory  and  in  the  presence 
of  other  fellows  he  was  made  to  sing  them. 
"Oh,"  said  Felix,  as  he  related  these  things  to 
the  preacher,  "how  much  would  I  give  to-day, 
if  the  memory  of  those  days  could  be  blotted 
out  of  my  mind!  But  thanks  be  unto  God, 
He  had  blotted  them  out  from  the  Book  of 
Life  to  remember  them  against  me  no  more." 

My  dear  people,  you  who  are  listening  to  me 
to-night,  when  I  heard  the  reciting  of  the 
different  steps  which  Felix  took  leading  him 
to  ignore  his  Maker  and   his  Saviour  Christ, 

79 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

and  become  an  alien  to  his  Heavenly  citizen- 
ship, I  said  to  myself,  "God  helping  me  I  will 
do  all  in  my  power  to  keep  my  young  people, 
who  are  under  my  care  as  a  pastor,  from  taking 
their  first  step.  Further,  I  will  do  all  in  my 
power  to  reclaim  as  many  as  possible  of  those 
who  may  have  taken  such  step  already." 

How  often  do  we  hear.it  said  by  parents  and 
others  that  there  is  no  harm  in  smoking  a 
cigar  and  that  if  there  is,  our  physicians  would 
not  use  it.  How  frequently  the  appeal  is  made 
that  moderate  drinking  will  assist  vitality  and 
prolong  general  health  and  therefore  some  of 
these  well  meaning  people  will  use  the  wine- 
glass in  their  family  circle.  Have  we  not 
heard  mothers  say  that  their  children  shall 
have  all  the  card  playing  at  home  that  they 
desire;  if  this  is  the  case  then  they  will  not  seek 
to  use  them  in  questionable  places?  My 
people,  listen  to  me  when  I  say  that  all  these 
plausible  reasons  are  used  as  false  excuses  and 
to  my  judgment  are  nothing  but  a  refuge  of 
lies.  We  know  from  actual  facts  that  smoking  is 
detrimental  to  general  health;  we  know  to-day, 
that  liquor  of  any  kind  is  poison;  we  have 
learned  that  card  playing  is  one  of  the  curses 
of  the  land  and  a  stepping-stone  to  all  other  kinds 
of  vice:  therefore  woe  be  to  that  individual 
who  in  any  way,  directly  or  indirectly,  is  the 
means  of  poisoning  our  youth.    The  majority 

80 


FELIX  IGNORING  HIS  MAKER 

of  those  who  have  ignored  God  were  led  to 
do  so  through  some  small  sin  at  first.  There- 
fore resolve  to-night  not  to  take  your  first 
downward  step. 

In  closing,  I  would  emphasize  two  things. 
First,  as  a  father,  I  will  never  put  any  wrong 
before  my  children  that  shall  in  any  way,  lead 
them  to  have  the  least  desire  for  them.  The 
Bible,  the  best  of  literature,  the  most  wholesome 
music,  and  the  purest  of  paintings  shall  serve 
as  ornaments  in  my  home.  Not  only  that,  but 
I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  lead  them  to  per- 
sonal acceptance  of  the  Lord  Christ  as  their 
Saviour  at  the  earliest  possible  period  in  life. 
Here  is  where  a  goodly  number  of  us  fail. 
Felix,  whose  story  is  told  on  these  pages, 
never  had  such  an  opportunity  and  therefore, 
in  a  sense,  he  is  partially  excusable,  but  where  is 
your  excuse  with  all  the  light  which  you  have 
on  this  subject?  Science  and  religion  have 
removed  every  stumbling  block. 

A  minister's  wife  in  the  State  of  Ohio  in 
speaking  of  her  family,  then  grown  to  man- 
hood, exclaimed,  in  a  sort  of  agony:  "I  would 
give  anything  if  I  had  these  last  twenty  years 
of  my  life  to  live  over  again."  Why?  Because 
she  had  in  a  measure,  yes,  in  considerable 
measure,  been  negligent  of  her  duty  at  home, 
and  now  she  was  spending  days  in  trembling 
and  in  tears  because  two  lives  that  were  almost, 


81 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

if  not  altogether,  profligate.  But,  my  people, 
it  was  too  late,  A  wayward  son  and  a  wanton 
daughter  cannot  be  turned  to  safe  paths  of 
life  when  the  years  of  childhood  have  been 
used  to  bring  about  habits  of  prodigality. 

Secondly,  the  pastor  joins  with  you  to-night 
in  trying  to  bring  these  who  have  been  here 
night  after  night  but  have  taken  no  step  God- 
ward.  We  must  awaken  them  from  their 
seeming  neutrality  and  indifference  and  lead 
them  to  decide  at  once.  All  that  anyone  has  to 
do  in  order  to  be  lost  is  to  stand  still  and  look 
on.  May  God  help  the  Christians  to  go  after 
the  unconverted,  and  may  God  help  the  unsaved 
to  come  home  to-night. 


82 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST  CHRIST 


CHAPTER  VII 

FELIX   FINDING   HIS   LOST   CHRIST 

AT  last  one  snowy  day,  I  was  obliged  to  stop 
on  the  road;  I  found  rather  an  obscure 
street,  and  turned  down  a  court,  and  there 
was  a  little  chapel.  It  was  the  primitive 
Methodist  chapel.  I  had  heard  of  these  people 
from  many,  and  how  they  sang  so  loudly 
that  it  made  the  people's  head  ache;  but  that 
did  not  matter.  I  wanted  to  know  how  I 
might  be  saved,  and  if  they  made  my  head 
ache  ever  so  much  I  did  not  care.  So,  sitting 
down,  the  service  went  on,  but  no  minister 
came.  At  last  a  very  thin  looking  man  came 
into  the  pulpit,  opened  his  Bible  and  read 
these  words,  "Look  unto  Me  and  be  ye  saved, 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth."  Just  setting  his 
eyes  on  me,  as  if  he  knew  all  my  heart,  he  said, 
"Young  man,  you  are  in  trouble."  Well,  I 
was,  sure  enough.  Said  he,  "You  will  never 
get  out  of  it  until  you  look  to  Christ."  And 
then,  Ufting  up  his  hands  he  cried  out,  "Look! 
look!  look!  It  is  only  a  look,"  said  he.  I  saw 
at  once  the  way  of  salvation. 

I  had  been  waiting  to  do  fifty  things,  but 
when  I  heard  this  word,  "look!"  what  a  charm- 
ing word  it  seemed  to  me!    Ho,  I  looked  until 

85 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

I  had  almost  looked  my  eyes  away;  and  in 
Heaven  I  will  look  on  still  in  my  joy  unutter- 
able. 

With  somewhat  dissimilar  means  but  with 
an  almost  identical  experience  to  that  which 
Spurgeon  had,  as  seen  in  the  quotation,  is  that 
story  which  Felix  so  charmingly  related  to  me 
and  which  we  shall  briefly  relate  to  you  at  this 
hour. 

Almost  four  years  have  slipped  away  since 
his  feet  first  touched  the  American  soil.  In  the 
Fall  of  1894,  he  found  himself,  with  a  crew  of 
his  country-men,  in  Brunswick,  Maine.  When 
December  came,  the  cold  weather  set  in,  the 
ground  was  frozen  and  the  work  was  suspended 
for  the  winter.  All  of  these  men  went  to  spend 
the  cold  season  in  larger  cities,  like  Portland, 
Boston  and  New  York.  But  Felix,  guided  by 
some  power  other  than  self,  was  constrained  to 
remain  behind.  He,  with  the  rest  of  them,  had 
made  their  headquarters  in  a  slaughterhouse. 
But  now,  being  left  alone,  he  sought  for  a  board- 
ing place  with  some  American  family.  For- 
tunately he  found  such  a  place  in  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Rhoda  Forsaith  of  that  town.  During  the 
month  of  January,  1895,  revival  services  were 
held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Miss  Annie  Forsaith  and  her  young  lover, 
Ralph  Barnes,  though  of  another  denomi- 
nation,  attended  some  of  these  services.     So 

86 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST  CHRIST 

far  as  Felix  can  now  remember,  from  the  very 
first  night  they  asked  him  if  he  would  not  join 
them  in  going.  Having  explained  to  him  the 
object  of  these  meetings  and  where  they  were 
held,  he  refused  to  comply  with  their  request. 
And  why?  Because  in  the  first  place,  had  he 
not  always  been  a  Christian  from  childhood? 
And  second,  as  he  had  never  been  inside  of  a 
Protestant  Church  he  was  not  going  to  commit 
this  greatest  of  sin  at  this  late  period  of  his 
life. 

However,  nothing  would  discourage  the 
young  couple  from  continually  asking  him  to 
attend  at  least  one  service. 

Finally,  just  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  them, 
he  consented  to  go  one  night.  The  meetings 
were,  at  this  time,  held  in  the  vestry  of  the 
church.  Looking  through  the  door,  Felix  saw 
two  men  on  the  platform  and  neither  of  them 
looked  anything  Hke  the  priest  that  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  see.  While  meditating 
within  himself  whether  or  not  he  had  better  go 
in,  Annie,  who  had  already  entered  and  Ralph 
who  was  behind  Felix  on  the  outside,  pulled 
and  pushed  and  lo!  before  he  knew  it  he  found 
himself  inside,  sitting  on  the  last  seat  back. 
The  very  thought  of  being  in  a  Protestant 
Church  frightened  him,  but  as  the  service  pro- 
ceeded he  became  somewhat  interested,  par- 
tially because    of    the    novelty  and  partially 

87 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

because    of    the    fine    spirit   that    seemed   to 
permeate  the  very  atmosphere  of  that  room. 

The  preacher  of  the  evening  was  the  Rev. 
Ithel  T.  Johnson  of  Vermont.  His  eccentricity, 
his  earnestness,  his  fearlessness,  and  his  passion 
for  the  soul  of  the  people,  captured  Felix  that 
very  night.  And  this  is  made  doubly  inter- 
esting when  we  remember  that  Felix  at  this 
time,  knew  just  about  two  dozen  words  in 
the  English  language.  Immediately,  at  the  close 
of  the  service,  Felix  ran  out  of  that  room  en- 
raged and  ready  for  a  fight  because  he  thought 
that  these  people,  with  whom  he  was  boarding 
and  with  whom  he  went  to  church,  had  told  the 
preacher  previous  to  that  service,  all  about  his 
life,  and  further,  that  the  preacher  had  the 
audacity  of  repeating  the  same  in  a  public 
place  in  that  very  man's  presence.  But  no  one 
was  guilty  of  such  work  except  it  was  the 
Spirit  of  God.  For  six  nights  Felix  kept  him- 
self away  from  the  church.  But  the  arrow  had 
struck  and  these  six  days  and  nights  had  been 
nothing  but  misery  for  him.  Smoking,  drinking, 
card  playing  and  other  amusements  would 
bring  no  comfort  to  his  poor  sin-sick  soul. 
More  than  once  he  had  been  tempted  to  lay  vio- 
lent hands  on  someone,  but  God  held  him  back. 
Finally,  Felix  resolved  to  go  to  church  just 
once  more  to  find  out  what  more  they  had  to  say 
about  him.    This  night  he  became  profoundly 

88 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST  CHRIST 

interested  and  the  next  night  he  went  again, 
and  so  again,  and  finally  he  took  his  seat 
nearer  the  front,  and  to  make  a  long  story 
short,  on  the  night  before  the  last  service,  he 
was  put  under  such  deep  conviction  for  his  sins 
that  it  really  seemed  to  him  that  he  must  either 
be  saved  then  or  go  to  perdition  eternally 
lost.  When  the  invitation  was  given  to  all 
those  who  had  heretofore  been  rebellant 
against  God  and  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  but  who 
would  now  repent  and  seek  forgiveness,  to  rise 
and  come  to  the  front,  the  call  had  hardly 
come  to  an  end  when  Felix  arose  and  asked 
that  the  people  pray  for  him.  Coming  to  the 
altar  he  was  told  to  kneel  and  pray  to  his 
loving  Father.  Felix  says  that  he  shall  never 
forget  how  some  of  the  old  saints  in  the  church, 
Mr.  Walker,  Mr.  Toothacher,  Mothers  Morse 
and  Smith,  and  others  gathered  around  him 
and  placing  their  loving  hands  on  his  shoulders 
prayed  to  God  for  his  redemption.  Mean- 
while, said  he,  Satan  seemed  to  have  let  loose 
all  the  imps  from  the  bottomless  pit  and  each 
whispering  in  his  ears,  saying  that  there  was 
not  enough  power  on  earth  or  in  Heaven  that 
could  set  him  free  and  that  he  might  just  as 
well  give  up  crying  to  God  for  help,  for  there 
was  no  hope  for  his  salvation. 

Just  at  this  time  Felix  felt  that  the  crisis  of 
his  life  had  come,  he  must  be  saved  now  or 

89 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

never,  and  falling  prostrate  on  his  face  he  wept 
bitterly  over  his  past  life  and  pleaded,  with  all 
the  power  that  a  human  being  has  at  his  com- 
mand, that  God  might  forgive  him  and  receive 
him  as  His  child.  Just  then  there  loomed  up 
before  him  a  most  beautiful  being,  bearing  such 
a  loving  tender  look  upon  His  countenance  that 
Felix  recognized  Him  at  once  to  be  Jesus  Chris. 

To  Felix  that  Christ  spoke  these  words, 
"Son,  thy  sins  which  were  many,  are  forgiven 
thee,  arise  and  go  in  peace."  Quick  as  a  flash 
the  burden  of  sin  rolled  away,  peace  came  into 
his  soul  and  the  very  first  thing  which  he  now 
clearly  remembers  is  that  there  streamed 
through  his  heart  a  wave  of  warm  love  which 
enabled  him  to  love  everybody  around  him, 
and  even  every  one  who  had  in  any  way 
become  his  enemy. 

My  dear  people,  as  I  listened  to  the  thrilhng 
experience  of  Felix  I  learned  a  few  lessons 
which  I  wish  to  emphasize  on  your  hearts 
to-night.  The  first  lesson  is  this,  that  Felix 
would  in  all  probability,  have  never  become  a 
Christian  if  some  one  or  ones  had  failed  to 
become  interested  in  him.  This  young  couple 
insisted  that  he  should  go  with  them  to  these 
services  and  they  kept  at  it  until  their  efforts 
were  crowned  with  success.  How  BibUcal  this 
method  is.  Andrew  finds  Jesus  and  then  he 
goes   back   and   brings   Peter.     Very   little  is 

90 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST  CHRIST 

heard  of  Andrew,  no  more  than  is  heard  of  this 
couple, but  a  great  deal  is  known  about  Peter 
as  it  is  now  known  about  Felix.  Jesus  finds 
Philip  and  the  latter  returns  after  Nathaniel. 
Personal  work  after  all  is  what  counts  most  in 
winning  souls  for  Christ.  Dr.  Peck  once  said, 
that  if  God  should  inform  him  that  the  salvation 
of  his  soul  depended  upon  the  salvation  of  one 
thousand  souls  in  ten  years'  time  and  that  he 
might  have  the  choice  of  using  either  the 
revival  method  or  individual  effort,  he  would 
choose  the  latter. 

Theodore  Cuyler,  of  blessed  memory,  once 
said,  "I  can  testify  that  most  of  the  souls  that 
came  to  Christ  during  my  ministry  were  brought 
to  Him  through  personal  touch." 

Bishop  Fowler  relates  the  story  of  the  British 
ofTicer  who  was  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans, 
that  as  they  neared  the  American  breastworks 
they  saw  one  man  behind  a  bale  of  cotton 
fighting  "on  his  own  hook."  There  was  a  puff 
of  smoke  yonder,  and  by  the  side  of  the  officer 
there  was  an  empty  saddle.  Then  the  man 
reloaded  his  gun,  scanned  the  line  a  momenta 
and  another  puff  of  smoke  and  another  empty 
saddle.  The  British  officer  said,  "That  man 
commanded  my  attention  more  than  the  whole 
line  of  breastworks.  It  was  a  great  relief  when 
the  artillery  opened  upon  us  and  we  were  some- 
what covered  by  the  smoke  of  the  battle." 

91 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

My  people,  if  we  should  go  out  from  this 
room  to-night  and  resolve  to  go  after  one  soul 
and  not  give  it  up  until  that  soul  is  brought  into 
contact  with  Jesus  Christ,  the  greatest  revival 
this  old  church  has  ever  had  would  be  experi- 
enced. 

The  second  lesson  learned  from  Felix's 
experience  was  that  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
became  a  means  for  his  salvation.  We  are 
speaking  these  days  about  the  power  of  steam, 
the  power  of  electricity,  the  power  of  natural 
resources,  like  Niagara  Falls,  Victoria's  Falls, 
but  what  are  these  when  compared  with  the 
power  stored  up  in  a  God-filled  church.  If  the 
church  is  true  to  her  God-given  mission.  Bishop 
Simpson's  description  of  her  will  be  fulfilled 
to  the  letter  even  in  these  days  in  which  we  are 
living.  He  said,  "The  church  is  groping  her 
way  into  the  alleys  and  courts  of  the  city,  and 
up  the  broken  staircase,  and  into  the  bar-room, 
and  beside  the  loathsome  sufferer.  She  is  going 
down  into  the  pit  with  the  miner;  into  the  fore- 
castle with  the  sailor,  into  the  tent  with  the 
soldier;  into  the  shop  with  the  mechanic;  into 
the  factory  with  the  operative;  into  the  fields 
with  the  farmers,  into  the  counting  house 
with  the  merchant.  Like  the  air  the  church  is 
pressing  equally  on  all  surfaces  of  society;  like 
the  sea  flowing  into  every  nook  of  the  shore  line 
of  humanity;  and  like  the  sun,  shining  on  things 

92 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST  CHRIST 

foul  and  low,  as  well  as  fair  and  high;  for  she 
was  organized,  commissioned  and  equipped  for 
the  moral  renovation  of  the  world." 

The  third  lesson  is  that  the  preaching  of 
God's  truth  was  used  to  lead  Felix  home. 
Shall  Felix  ever  forget  the  preacher  and  his 
message?  "The  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek 
and  to  save  that  which  was  lost."  The  emphasis 
was  rightly  placed  on  the  word  "lost."  Felix 
saw  himself  as  God  saw  him,  a  lost  soul.  If 
this  world  is  ever  to  be  redeemed  the  preaching 
of  His  word  will  have  a  large  measure  in  the 
business.  God's  truth  from  the  preacher's  lips 
fell  not  like  the  mid-summer  dews,  but  like 
the  piercing  hail,  like  the  whirlwind,  hke  the 
cutting  sword.  Surely  it  will  hurt.  It  is  said 
of  Massilon,  the  great  French  preacher,  that 
at  one  time  there  came  to  him  a  person  saying, 
"Whenever  I  hear  preachers  I  am  much  pleased 
with  myself  and  with  them  as  well,  but  when- 
ever I  hear  you  I  am  much  displeased  with 
myself."  When  one  begins  to  get  displeased 
with  himself  the  real  battle  of  life  is  on. 

Mr.  Todd  relates  that  at  one  time  a  man  came 
to  him  and  said,  "Sir,  you  displeased  my  Lord 
with  your  sermons."  "Well,"  said  the  preacher, 
"I  should  not  have  offended  your  Lord  if  he  was 
not  conscious  first  of  having  offended  my  Lord, 
and  if  your  Lord  will  continue  to  offend  my 
Lord,  then  let  him  continue  to  be  offended." 

93 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

And  Jerome  was  right  when  he  said,  "It  is  not 
the  clamor  of  praise  but  the  groans  and  tears  of 
the  congregation  that  form  the  highest  praises 
of  the  pulpit  orator." 

The  last  point  which  was  impressed  on  my 
mind  as  I  listened  to  Felix's  wonderful  experi- 
ence was  this,  that  while  he  was  thus  weeping 
before  God  asking  for  forgiveness  of  sin,  there 
loomed  up  before  him  the  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
through  whom  and  by  whom  his  sins  were  for- 
given and  adoption  into  God's  family  obtained. 
How  truly  the  apostle  hurled  upon  the  people 
the  tremendous  meaning  of  the  words: — 
"Through  this  Man  is  preached  unto  you  the 
forgiveness  of  sins,"  and  like  the  wonderful 
William  Dawson  he  must  have  dropped  behind 
the  pulpit  and  cried  out,  "Not  the  man  in  the 
pulpit,  he  is  out  of  sight,  but  the  man  in  the 
Book.  The  man  described  in  the  Book  is 
the  man  through  whom  is  preached  unto  you 
the  forgiveness  of  sins." 

When  Mrs,  John  Bennet  was  dying,  she 
raised  herself  up  and  poured  out  her  testimony 
in  the  following  earnest  language:  "I  here 
declare  before  you  that  I  have  looked  on  the 
right  hand  and  on  the  left  to  see  if  there  was 
any  possible  way  of  salvation  but  by  the  Son  of 
God;  and  I  am  fully  satisfied  there  is  not.  No, 
none  on  earth,  nor  all  the  angels  in  Heaven 
could  have  wrought  out  salvation  for  such  a 

94 


FELIX  FINDING  HIS  LOST   CHRIST 

sinner.  But  Jesus  Christ  wrought  out  salvation 
for  me,  and  I  know  that  I  shall  enjoy  it  for- 
ever." 

Shall  we  not  go  forth  to  become  personal 
workers  by  leading  people  into  the  House  of 
God  where  His  word  is  preached  and  where 
our  Lord  and  Master  Jesus  Christ  shall  have 
a  chance  in  their  lives,  and  lead  them  back  to 
God's  house  from  which  humanity  has  strayed? 
And  if  there  is  one  here  to-night  who  has  not 
experienced  religion  in  the  soul,  we  beseech 
that  one  to  be  reconciled  to  God  before  it  is  too 
late. 


95 


FELIX  AND  THE  EXPANSION  OF  A  SOUL 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FELIX   AND   THE   EXPANSION    OF   A    SOUL 

"As  when  men  stand  and  look  into  the 
l\  Heavens  with  naked  eye,  they  see  some 
three  thousand  stars;  as  with  a  glass  of  certain 
power  they  may  see  some  ten  or  twenty  thou- 
sand, and  as  with  a  larger  glass  they  may  see 
still  more,  penetrating  to  the  infinite  depths  of 
space,  so  the  human  mind  at  first  could  see  a 
little  of  the  nature  of  God,  then  a  little  more, 
then  a  little  more,  and  so  on,  with  a  power  of 
vision  that  has  increased  clear  down  to  the 
present  time." 

In  our  last  address  we  brought  Felix  into 
the  knowledge  of  a  personal  experimental  sal- 
vation from  all  his  past  sins,  and  his  adoption 
into  God's  family,  through  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  bore  witness  with  his  spirit  that  he  was  a 
child  of  God.  This  consciousness  of  his  abiding 
in  God  and  God  in  him,  Felix  has  never  lost 
for  these  twenty  years,  but  in  this  address  we 
shall  endeavor  to  show  you  what  a  marvelous 
development  from  the  standpoint  of  intellectual 
growth  Felix  made. 

Having  returned  to  his  boarding  place,  he 
told  his  hostess  what  he  had  done.  Mrs.  For- 
saith   hearing  the   news  said   to   him,   "Now, 

99 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

my  boy,  let  us  kneel  down  and  thank  God  for 
what  He  has  done  for  you,"  and  suiting  her 
action  to  her  word  she  bowed  low  before  God, 
and  said  in  substance,  "0  God,  I  thank  Thee  for 
what  Thou  hast  done  for  this  young  man;  now 
if  Thou  seest  that  there  is  anything  in  his  life 
which  Thou  mayest  use  for  Thy  glory,  bring  it 
out  and  make  him  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent 
for  Thee."  This  prayer  touched  him,  and  on  the 
next  morning,  after  breakfast,  he  called  Annie, 
the  daughter,  who  was  now  Mrs.  Ralph  Barnes, 
and  said  to  her,  "You  know  that  I  cannot  read 
or  write  one  single  word  in  any  language.  You 
know  that  I  am  now  a  Christian  and  being 
such,  I  cannot  remain  in  ignorance.  I  must 
learn,  at  least,  how  to  read  the  Bible,  which 
you  say  is  God's  Book.  Will  you  help  me  in 
this  if  you  can?"  Mrs.  Barnes'  face  more  than 
beamed,  and  she  said  in  substance,  "Felix,  I 
shall  be  more  than  happy  to  do  what  little  I 
can  for  you  to-day."  She  sought  for  a  grammar 
and  an  arithmetic  and  the  work  began.  He  was 
then  past  twenty-four  years  of  age  and  never 
had  been  one  day  inside  of  any  school  either 
in  America  or  in  his  own  country.  It  is  very 
interesting  to  notice  that  while  he  had  no  educa- 
tion and  no  knowledge  of  the  English  language, 
he  understood  enough  to  start  a  Christian  life 
and  was  able  to  converse  with  the  people  with 
whom  he  was  stopping;  but  he  says  that  most 

100 


FELIX  AND  THE  EXPANSION  OF  A  SOUL 

of  it  was  received  through  gestures  and  move- 
ment of  the  lips.  But  primarily  the  glory  must 
be  given  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  interpreter  of 
all  truths.  This  study  continued  for  a  few 
months.  When  May  came,  Felix  was  hired 
out  to  work  with  a  Christian  gentleman,  Mr. 
G.  M.  Powers,  now  a  Free  Will  Baptist  clergy- 
man, residing  in  Topsham,  Me.  It  was  while 
working  for  this  man  that  Felix  learned  the  trade 
of  paper  hanging,  painting,  and  white-washing* 
which  trade  helped  him  while  attending  school. 
The  sweetness,  the  serenity,  and  consistency 
of  Mr.  Powers'  life,  were  moulding  factors  in 
Felix's  life. 

The  Rev.  W.  B.  Dukeshire,  who  up  to  April 
of  the  year  when  Felix's  conversion  took  place, 
had  been  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Brunswick,  was  now  stationed  in 
Farmington,  Me.  Several  times  did  he  visit 
Brunswick  during  that  summer,  as  Felix 
thought  up  to  two  years  ago,  to  see  him. 
But  this  was  not  the  real  case,  for  he  came  to 
that  town  to  see  his  would-be  wife.  But,  how- 
ever the  case  may  be,  meanwhile  he  took 
special  pains  to  see  Felix  and  would  earnestly 
say  to  him,  that  he  was  going  to  take  him  to 
Kent's  Hill  Seminary  when  the  school  year 
would  open  that  Fall.  Felix  could  not  under- 
stand what  Mr.  Dukeshire  meant  by  seminary. 
To  him  the  word   seminary  was   synonymous 

101 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

with  the  word  cemetery.  Being  anxious  to 
find  out  the  distance  of  such  school  from  Bruns- 
wick, and  being  also  informed  that  the  distance 
was  about  fifty-five  miles,  he  pleadingly  replied 
to  Mr.  Dukeshire  saying,  "Why  will  you  take 
me  to  a  seminary  that's  so  far  when  there  is  a 
cemetery  within  a  half  mile  from  here?" 

On  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  August,  1895, 
Mr.  Dukeshire  made  another  visit  to  Bruns- 
wick and  just  before  he  left  for  Farmington 
again  he  had  another  interview  with  Felix, 
and  said  to  him,  after  Felix  had  told  him  that 
he  would  not  go  to  school,  "Felix,  if  you  never 
go  to  school,  then  you  will  never  amount  to 
anything  for  yourself  or  for  anyone  else." 
Felix  understood  this  sentence  very  clearly, 
though  not  able  at  this  time  to  understand  more 
than  two  dozen  words  in  English.  Dropping 
his  brush,  for  he  was  nov/  painting  on  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Clara  E.  Smith,  he  went  into  the  house 
and  said  to  her,  "Me  go  seminary  in  two  days." 
Mrs.  Smith  was  the  wife  of  a  former  preacher 
in  the  Maine  Conference,  who  had  of  late 
passed  away  to  his  Heavenly  Home.  No  one 
can  imagine  the  light  which  beamed  upon  this 
elect  lady's  face.  Smoothing  her  hands  together 
and  with  streaming  eyes  she  said,  "God  bless 
you,  my  boy,  I  am  so  glad  that  you  are  going. 
I  shall  ever  pray  for  your  success." 

True  to  his  word,  Mr.  Dukeshire  met  Felix 

102 


At  the  a«c>  of  twenty-iiiiu*.  graduatiiifi,-  from  Kent's  Hill  Seminary 


FELIX  AND  THE  EXPANSION  OF  A  SOUL 

on  the  Hill.  After  having  looked  around  for 
a  good  boarding  place  for  Felix,  he  placed  him 
in  the  care  and  keeping  of  Rev.  C.  W.  Black- 
man,  a  superannuated  preacher,  who  was  mak- 
ing his  home  there  in  order  to  educate  his 
children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blackman's  influence 
over  him  during  the  moulding  period  of  his 
Christian  life  and  trying  school  days,  cannot 
be  over-estimated.  A  holier  couple  could  not 
be  found  anywhere,  and  to  this  day,  Mr. 
Blackman  (for  Mrs.  Blackman  passed  to  her 
Home  beyond  the  sky  some  years  ago)  is  Felix's 
pattern  of  a  Christian  saint. 

The  first  year  of  school  life  he  did  not  take 
the  course  with  the  entering  class.  For  how 
could  he  when  he  could  hardly  read  or  write 
even  his  own  nam.e?  For  while  Mrs.  Barnes  had 
started  him  a  few  months  previous,  he  had 
almost  forgotten  the  same  during  his  busy 
summer's  work.  However,  he  was  made  to 
visit  the  different  classes  and  private  lessons 
were  given  him  both  by  teachers  and  students 
who  were  becoming  interested  in  him.  Mean- 
while, Felix  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in 
doing  all  kinds  of  labor  in  and  around  the  school. 
One  vital  thing  to  be  remembered  here  is  that 
when  Felix  arrived  at  Kent's  Hill,  he  had 
four  dollars  and  eighteen  cents  in  his  posses- 
sion and  that  was  all  the  financial  resources 
he  had  at  his  command.     For  while  he  had 

103 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

earned  some  money  during  the  summer,  he 
also  had  some  debts  that  he  wished  to  square 
up  before  he  left  town.  When  the  second  year 
of  his  school  life  opened  he  took  up  the  course 
with  the  entering  class  and  in  four  years, 
after  much  struggUng,  he  graduated,  carrying 
ofT  one  of  the  prizes  for  oratory.  The  fall  of 
1900,  he  entered  Drew  Theological  Seminary 
where  he  remained  for  three  years,  fmishing 
in  1903,  when  he  joined  the  Maine  Conference 
under  the  Seminary  Rule. 

Now  as  I  listened  to  this  simple  but  thrilling 
story  concerning  Felix  trying  to  rise  from  the 
life  of  ignorance  and  darkness,  to  that  of  intel- 
ligence and  light,  I  learned  two  or  three  lessons 
which  must  have  been  very  discouraging  to 
him,  but  of  much  inspiration  and  encourage- 
ment to  us.  The  first  of  them  is  this,  that 
Felix  began  his  Christian  life  and  educational 
career  late  in  life.  Think  for  a  moment.  At 
the  time  when  our  young  men  have  finished 
their  college  courses,  when  some  of  them  have 
even  put  the  fmishing  touch,  by  having  returned 
from  abroad,  and  others  are  practising  in  their 
chosen  profession  and  becoming  leaders  in  the 
realm  of  thought  and  experts  in  the  line  of  work 
in  which  they  are  engaged,  that  Felix  should 
then  begin  his  upward  climb!  Discouraging 
enough  this  is  even  for  an  angel.  And  Felix 
was  no  angel.     But  he  was  bound   to  proceed 

104 


FELIX  AND  THE  EXPANSION  OF  A  SOUL 

and  stick  to  it,  let  come  what  may.  And  what 
an  encouraging  lesson  is  here  for  each  of  us. 
My  non-converted  people,  you  who  have  been 
listening  to  me  for  the  last  eight  nights,  if  you 
have  been  delaying  this  matter  of  salvation  and 
are  to-night  finding  yourselves  in  the  middle  of 
life  without  Jesus  Christ  in  the  soul,  do  not  let 
Satan  deceive  you  when  he  suggests  that  it  is  use- 
less for  you  to  begin  now,  after  having  spent  your 
best  days  in  sin  and  away  from  God.  It  is  very 
true  that  we  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  ourselves 
for  not  doing  before  this  time  what  we  always 
knew  we  ought  to  have  done;  but  let  that  not 
keep  you  away  from  Him  to-night.  Too  late? 
Yes,  but  better  late  than  never.  Never  too 
late  if  you  will  only  come. 

A^nother  lesson  is  this:  Felix  had  to  begin 
at  the  bottom.  We  have  read  biographies  of 
men  and  women  who  were  awakened  late  in 
life  and  then  through  perseverance  and  sacrifice, 
which  cost  them  blood  and  pain,  have  reached 
great  heights;  but  we  have  yet  to  read  one 
which  speaks  of  both,  beginning  too  late  and 
beginning  at  the  bottom.  But  here  in  Felix's 
life  we  have  it.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four,  he 
had  to  begin  with  the  kindergarten  and  the 
lesson  which  I  learn  from  it  is  this:  When  we 
begin  the  Christian  life  we  are  to  begin  at  the 
foot  of  the  Gross.  It  makes  no  difference  how 
wise  one  may  be  in  worldly  matters,  when  he 

105 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

comes  to  join  the  new  race,  of  which  Jesus  is 
the  central  figure,  he  must  begin  at  the  bottom. 
These  things  are  spiritually  discerned  and  in 
order  for  each  of  us  to  get  the  right  vision  of  it 
we  must  be  born  again  and  become  like  Uttle 
children,  willing  to  sit  at  His  feet  and  learn  of 
Him.  And  this  very  thought  is  standing 
between  a  great  many  well-meaning  people  and 
Jesus  Christ.  The^'  like"  to  join  God's  people 
and  be  known  as  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ,  but 
they  are  not  willing  to  come  by  the  way  of  the 
Cross. 

Again,  we  have  this  thought  suggested  to  us 
by  Felix's  story:  He  had  not  only  to  begin  late 
in  life  and  that  his  was  further  cumbered  with 
the  thought  of  beginning  at  the  bottom,  but 
to  begin  with  a  language  entirely  foreign  to 
him.  To  begin  late  and  at  the  bottom  is  dis- 
couraging enough,  but  to  master  another 
tongue,  that's  enough  to  dishearten  the  might- 
iest hero  on  God's  green  earth.  And  what  is 
there  for  us  here?  This  much,  to  begin  a 
Christian  life  is  to  learn  the  language  of 
Canaan.  The  reason  why  they  missed  His 
meaning  was  due  to  the  fact  that  they  could 
not  understand  His  language.  The  things 
which  He  spoke  were  to  be  spiritually  dis- 
cerned. If  the  world  does  not  understand  some 
twentieth  century  God-sent  preachers,  who 
have  a  message  for  this  dying  world  and  are 

106 


FELIX  AND  THE  EXPANSION  OF  A  SOUL 

trying  to  deliver  it  according  to  the  leading 
and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  is  because 
the  world  is  not  familiar  with  the  language  of 
Heaven.  But  if  you  will  come  to-night  and 
give  yourself  up  for  eternity,  the  Spirit  of  God 
will  teach  you  more  in  one  year  concerning 
the  Kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness 
than  all  your  earthly  teachers  can  teach  you 
in  a  life  time. 

Lastly,  you  will  remember  that  Felix  said 
that  when  he  entered  school,  all  the  fmancial 
resources  he  had  were  four  dollars  and  eighteen 
cents.  Too  late,  at  the  bottom,  learning 
another  language  and  without  means.  What 
else  could  one  suggest  to  be  added  to  these  four 
things  in  order  to  discourage  Felix?  But  he 
did  not  stay  away  because  of  it.  He  knew  if 
he  would  only  do  his  best,  the  lack  of  money 
would  not  stand  in  the  way.  Money  has  not  edu- 
cated many  mighty  men,  money  has  ruined 
many  would-be  mighty  men.  Here  we  pause  for 
our  closing  remark.  Money  cannot  purchase 
salvation,  money  is  the  means  of  keeping  many 
from  having  salvation.  All  the  wealth  of  the 
universe  could  not  buy  salvation  for  one  single 
soul.  Salvation  was  purchased  on  Calvary. 
The  price  paid  was  the  life  of  the  Son  of  God ! 
And  now,  "whosoever  will,  let  him  come  and 
partake  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  What  you 
and  I  need  first  and  last  is  a  God-given  desire 

107 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

to  forsake  the  past  and  a  persuasion  to  conquer 
the  future  at  all  cost,  and  God  will  see  to  it 
that  all  things  will  be  ours.  Paul  had  it  right 
when  he  cried  out,  "What  things  were  dear  to 
me  those  things  I  count  but  loss  for  Christ. 
Yea,  doubtless,  I  count  all  things  but  loss  for 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus  my  Lord,  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the 
loss  of  many  things  and  count  them  but  dung 
that  I  may  win  Christ  and  be  found  in  Him, 
not  having  mine  own  righteousness  which  is 
of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith 
of  Christ,  the  righteousness  of  God  which  is  by 
faith,  that  I  may  know  Him  and  the  power  of 
His  resurrection  and  the  fellowship  of  His 
suffering,  being  made  conformable  unto  His 
death,  if,  by  any  means,  I  may  attain  unto  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead.  Brethren,  this  one 
thing  I  do,  forgetting  the  things  which  are  be- 
hind and  reaching  forward  unto  the  things  which 
are  before  I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ." 
My  people,  those  of  you  who  have  not  yet 
taken  Him  as  your  personal  Saviour,  will 
you  not  take  him  now?  I  guarantee  you  that 
there  is  nothing  to  lose  in  taking  this  step  but 
everything  to  gain,  and  the  story  of  Felix 
which  we  have  been  telling  you,  will  be  repeated 
in  your  own  life,  for  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons. 

108 


FELIX'S  CALL  TO   THE  MINISTRY 


CHAPTER  IX 

FELIX'S    CALL   TO   THE    MINISTRY 

WERT  thou  wiser  than  Solomon  and 
Daniel  yet  until  thou  art  called,  flee 
the  sacred  ministry,  as  thou  would'st  hell 
and  the  devil;  then  wilt  thou  not  spill  the 
Word  of  God  to  no  purpose.  If  God  needs 
thee.  He  will  know  how  to  call  thee." 

Continuing  my  conversation  with  Felix  he 
said  to  me,  "After  my  graduation  from  Kent's 
Hill  I  was  not  clear  in  my  mind  as  to  what  my 
life  work  should  be.  From  the  day  of  my  con- 
version I  had  a  leaning  toward  the  ministry. 
But  there  were  many  obstacles  in  the  way.  My 
age  was  against  me,  my  education  was  limited 
and  my  usage  of  the  English  language  very 
poor.  With  these  discouraging  features  there 
came  callings  to  follow  up  other  lines  of  work. 
For  instance,  a  friend  of  mine  who  was  in  the 
grocery  business  and  making  good,  urged  me 
to  join  him  at  once.  What  a  temptation!  A 
fine  chance  to  make  some  money,  the  purchas- 
ing for  myself  a  good  home,  the  settling  down 
with  a  beautiful  little  wife  and  soon  being  able 
perhaps,  to  make  a  visit  to  my  mother;  these 

111 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

were  dravcing  cords,  but  before  the  matter 
was  ultimately  settled  I  took  it  to  God  in 
prayer.  After  two  or  three  days  of  waiting 
upon  the  infallable  Guide  of  us  all,  I  was  led 
to  write  the  gentleman  that  I  could  not  accept 
his   proposal." 

Within  a  few  days,  after  the  refusal  to  enter 
business  life,  there  reached  Felix  a  letter  from 
Washington,  D.  C.  A  former  graduate  of 
Kent's  Hill  was  working  in  that  city.  Hav- 
ing heard  of  Felix's  graduation  and  know- 
ing that  he  was  looking  for  work,  he  asked 
him  if  he  would  not  come  there  and  take  up 
the  work  as  interpreter  among  his  country-men. 
This  calling  offered  Felix  one  hundred  dollars  a 
month  to  begin  with  and  other  smaller  compen- 
sation besides.  It  was  a  very  alluring  call  in- 
deed. But  nothing  was  clear  even  here.  Felix's 
heart  was  not  fixed  upon  that  kind  of  work. 
Again  he  resorted  to  Him,  who  can  remove  all 
mist  away,  and  again  God  made  it  very  clear 
to  him  that  he  should  not  accept  that  call. 
The  evil  spirit  also  came  around  and  suggested 
to  him  that  it  was  not  God  who  did  not  want 
him  to  go  to  Washington  but  his  misinterpre- 
tations of  God's  voice.  This  temptation  drove 
him  to  his  knees  again  only  doubly  to  assure 
him  that  what  God  had  told  him  previously  was 
true.  Then  Satan  fled,  but  only  for  a  time.  For 
within  a  fev/  days  after  he  had  informed  the 

112 


FELIX'S  CALL  TO   THE  MINISTRY 

friend  in  Washington  of  his  decision,  he  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  him  stating  that  he  had 
made  a  great  mistake  and  that  in  all  prob- 
ability he  would  never  have  such  a  call  again. 
Then  Satan  whispered  again,  "What  a  fool 
you  have  made  of  yourself." 

In  one  of  the  large  cities  in  the  State  of 
Massachusetts  there  was  a  young  lawyer  who 
had  many  Italians  coming  to  him  for  legal  help. 
Nearly  three  thousand  of  these  people  lived  in 
that  city.  This  lawyer,  not  knowing  how  to 
speak  their  language,  sought  for  some  one  who 
could.  To  Felix  he  wrote  inquiring  if  he  was 
contemplating  the  law  career  and  if  so,  then 
there  was  a  fine  opening  for  him  in  that  city, 
offering  him  a  chance  to  practice  with  him.  In 
this  direction  Felix  had  seemed  to  have  no 
leaning  therefore  it  was  easily  and  quickly 
disposed  of. 

Four  of  the  five  summers  during  Felix's 
school  days  at  Kent's  Hill,  were  spent  in  canvas- 
sing. This  summer  he  went  into  the  northern 
part  of  the  State  to  work.  In  the  month  of 
August  he  found  himself  selling  articles  in  a 
new  town  called  Millinocket.  Here  he  met  Rev. 
Horace  Haskell,  a  member  of  the  East  Maine 
Conference,  supplying  a  Union  Church.  One 
day,  Mr.  Haskell  asked  Felix  if  he  would  not 
talk  to  his  people  on  the  prayer  meeting  night. 
He  tried  to  make  some  excuses,  saying  among 

113 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

other  things,  that  he  could  not  speak  the  Eng- 
lish language,  that  the  people  would  make  fun 
of  him  and  perhaps  might  bring  reproach  upon 
the  Gospel  of  Christ.  But  Mr.  Haskell  thought 
otherwise  and  would  not  take  "No"  for  an 
answer.  The  evening  came  and  Felix  gave  his 
address.  At  the  close  of  the  service  a  few  of  the 
saints  came  to  him  and  spoke  a  word  of  appreci- 
ation. Next  day,  Mr.  Haskell  interviewed 
Felix  and  told  him  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
if  he  would  write  up  a  short  Gospel  talk  and 
become  so  familiar  with  it  that  should  he  be 
called  upon  at  any  time  to  speak  he  would 
notbe  embarrassed  but  be  ready  to  answer  the 
summons.  This  counsel  Felix  took  to  heart 
and  shortly  he  had  such  a  sermonette  ready. 
Ever  thereafter  whenever  he  was  called  upon 
to  speak  he  would  acquiesce.  More  than  once 
some  good  man  or  woman  would  approach  him 
and  suggest  that  he  enter  the  ministry.  Some 
brethren  in  the  ministry  gave  him^  an  encour- 
aging word  also,  though  they  were  not  so  free 
about  it  as  the  laity;  I  presume  the  reason 
was,  they  knew  the  seriousness  of  the  call  and 
its  work. 

The  conviction  to  preach  the  Gospel  grew 
apace  on  Felix's  heart.  It  seemed  to  him  that 
if  he  could  only  preach  Jesus  Christ  to  poor 
lost  sinners  and  make  them  see  how  much  He 
loved  them  and  had  done  for  them,  he  would 

114 


FELIX'S  CALL  TO  THE    MINISTRY 

be  the  happiest  man  in  this  world.    About  the 
last  of  August  in  the  year  1900,  he  returned  to 
Kent's  Hill  for  a  few  days,  and  it  was  at  this 
time  that  the  decision  was  made.    He  saw  that 
the  final  court  of  appeal,  on  this  most  important 
matter,  must  be  God.    To  Him,  Felix  resorted 
again  and  again  and  yet  again.    One  night  after 
having  read  the  ninth  chapter  of  the  first  Cor- 
inthians and  particularly  the  sixteenth  verse, 
he  knelt  in  prayer  and  was  determined  not  to 
cease  communication  with  Him  until  He  had 
spoken  the  final  word.    At  last  God  spoke  and 
instantly  Felix's  heart  was  ablaze  for  a  sinful 
world.    The  woe,  which  Paul  spoke  of  in  that 
chapter,   became   his    woe.      Finally    he    said, 
"Yes,  Lord  Jesus,  I  will  go  where  Thou  sendest 
me  and  whatever  my  lot  may  be  I  will  say, 
'Thy  will  and  not  mine  be  done.' "    The  next 
day    he    wrote    to    President   Buttz    of    Drew 
Theological   Seminary   concerning   the   matter 
of  furthering  his  schooling,  only  to  receive  a 
rather  discouraging  letter  from  him  saying,  in 
substance,  that  it  would  be  much  better  for 
him  to  go  to  college  first  and  then  come  to  Drew. 
Fine  advice  this.     However,  Felix  being  well 
along  in  years,  resolved  to  go  to  Drew,  and  on 
the  fifteenth  day  of  September,  he  found  him- 
self walking  on  its  beautiful  campus. 

My  people,  is  there  anything  from  what  has 
been  said  to-night  concerning  Felix's  call  to  the 

115 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

ministry,  that  may  serve  to  teach  us  one  or 
two  profound  lessons?  I  think  so.  First,  when 
life's  numerous  calls  are  made  upon  us  and  we 
are  puzzled  as  to  whose  voice  to  heed,  we  should 
take  everything  to  God  in  prayer.  And  the 
prayer  that  I  am  speaking  of  at  this  time  is  that 
where  the  suppliant's  will  is  entirely  submitted 
to  the  will  of  the  Father  in  Heaven.  I  have 
heard  from  some  one  the  story  of  a  primitive 
Methodist  preacher  who  heard  Wesley's  ex- 
hortation on  marriage  telling  him  that  such  a 
subject  should  be  taken  to  God  in  prayer.  This 
young  man  took  heed  and  bowing  before  the 
throne  of  grace  he  cried  out  thus,  "Oh  Lord, 
I  wish  my  will  to  be  sunk  in  Thine  concerning 
this  step  that  I  am  about  to  take,  and  I  do  pray 
for  Thy  guidance;  Thy  guidance  alone,  in  the 
choosing  of  a  wife;  but,  0  Lord,  let  it  be  Sarah." 
My  people,  you  smile  I  see,  but  how  many 
people  there  are  whose  prayers  are  flavoured 
with  this  same  spirit.  Nothing  tunes  the  soul, 
nothing  clears  the  fog,  nothing  takes  away  the 
burden,  nothing  will  enable  one  to  "mount  on 
wings  as  eagles;  to  run,  and  not  to  be  weary 
and  to  walk  and  faint  not,"  but  a  real  face  to 
face  talk  with  God.  Prayer  is  the  key  that 
unlocks  every  blessing. 

The  next  lesson  which  I  learn  is  this:  no  man 
ought  to  be  in  the  ministry  who  has  not  really 
been  called  of  God.     Mr.  Beecher  once  said, 

116 


FELIX'S  CALL  TO  THE  MINISTRY 

speaking  of  the  subject  of  the  ministry,  "My 
father  ordained  me  to  preach.  Ah,  I  was 
better  ordained  than  that:  my  Father  ordained 
me.  He  ordained  me  twice;  first,  when  He  put 
His  hand  on  my  head  before  I  was  born,  and 
said,  "Be  a  head;"  and  then  after  I  had  carried 
it  around  a  few  years,  when  He  stretched  out 
His  hand  and  touched  my  heart  rather  than  my 
head,  and  said,  "Be  ordained  again."  First, 
He  makes  the  head-piece  to  think;  and  then 
He  touches  the  heart  and  says,  "Go  preach  My 
Gospel."  When  a  man  has  had  that  done  to 
him,  he  is  ordained.  A  pope  or  a  bishop  or  a 
whole  presbytery  could  not  make  him  any 
better.  Do  you  wonder  that  he  is  known  as 
the  Prince  of  Preachers?  Those,  therefore,  who 
enter  the  sacred  ministry  without  being  sol- 
emnly ordained  and  set  apart  by  the  Lord  God 
Himself,  can  claim  no  blessing  or  success  in  the 
work.  I  ask  for  my  own  personal  information. 
Is  this  not  the  reason  why  we  have  so  few 
preachers  in  the  pulpits  to-day,  who  have  a 
positive  message  for  this  heartbroken  and 
heart-bleeding  world?  This  world  which  is  out 
of  joint  with  God;  this  world  which  is  ever- 
lastingly crying  out  for  a  Moses  who  can 
deliver  it  from  the  bondage  of  sin;  from  the 
bondage  of  human  philosophy  and  seeming 
skepticism;  a  Moses  who  can  bring  the  people 
out  of  the  chaotic  and  the  never  solved  social 

117 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

questions  of  to-day;  a  Moses  who  can  combine 
the  thundering  of  Sinai  and  the  pathos  of  Cal- 
vary and  with  his  heart  filled  with  all  the  tender- 
ness and  love  of  Jesus  Christ  deliver  the 
populace  from  the  numerous  un-Scriptural 
teachings  of  to-day;  a  Moses-like  Savonarola, 
Knox,  Francis  of  Assissi,  John  Penry,  Luther 
and  the  Wesleys  of  the  past  and  Finney,  Moody, 
Gipsy  Smith  and  Chapman  of  to-day,  who  with 
an  illumined  mind,  a  warm  heart,  fearless  spirit, 
and  undaunted  courage,  shall  turn  the  world 
upper-side  down  and  the  down  side  up?  0  God! 
give  us  more  preachers  who  will  dare  to  preach 
the  Word,  who  are  not  afraid  to  reprove,  and 
rebuke  nor  hesitate  to  exhort  with  all  long  suf- 
fering and  doctrine;  for  there  are  people,  who 
after  their  own  pleasures,  are  heaping  unto 
themselves  teachers  and  preachers  having  itch- 
ing ears.  0  God!  for  Jesus'  sake,  give  us  more 
preachers  who  will  fight  the  good  fight,  who 
will  "keep  the  faith,"  who  "will  endure  hard- 
ship as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ,"  and 
who,  in  the  midst  of  it  all,  will  count  it  all  joy, 
because  of  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus,  the  Lord. 

Thirdly  and  briefly,  another  lesson  from 
Felix's  wonderful  story  is  this,  that  God  calls 
every  Christian  to  do  something  for  Him.  It 
may  not  be  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  to  become 
a    Gospel  singer,  or  to  do  deaconess  work  in 

118 


FELIX'S  CALL  TO  THE   MINISTRY 

the  slums,  or  to  become  a  missionary,  but  of 
this  I  am  sure,  that  God  has  a  place  for  each 
of  us  in  His  program  and  if  we  wait  before 
Him  in  prayer  and  wilUngly  submit  to  His 
leading,  then  we  shall  find  our  place,  and  hav- 
ing found  it,  success  will  crown  our  effort. 
What  better  hour  for  such  a  consecration  than 
just  at  this  moment.  Come  now,  and  kneel  here 
with  me. 


119 


FELIX  TACKLING  HIS  JOB 


CHAPTER  X 

FELIX   TACKLING   HIS   JOB 

THREE  years  at  Drew  Theological  Semi- 
nary! Yes,  the  finest  spot  on  God's 
earth.  The  campus  is  ideal.  The  buildings 
are  imposing  and  inspiring.  The  faculty  can- 
not be  bettered  anywhere.  The  students,  a 
noble  band  they  are  indeed.  Three  years  of 
hard  toil,  for  Felix  did  several  things  in  order 
to  help  himself  along  financially.  The  bell 
was  touched  by  him  many  times  a  day.  A 
Union  chapel  demanded  his  care  and  prayer 
for  eighteen  months.  Meanwhile  1903  loomed 
up  and  Felix  began  to  look  around  for  a  con- 
ference which  he  might  join.  To  him  the 
Maine  Conference  put  its  strongest  appeal, 
not  the  brethren,  but  the  work  of  that  con- 
ference. 

Having  been  local  preacher  for  two  years  and 
being  a  regular  graduate  of  a  theological  semi- 
nary he  was  entitled  to  enter  such  conference 
under  the  so-known  Seminary  Rule,  providing 
that  he  passed  satisfactory  examination  on  the 
entrance  and  the  first  two  years'  studies  in  the 
Conference  Course. 

123 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

This  meant  extra  work  for  him.  For,  while 
he  had  some  credentials  on  some  of  the  studies, 
the  bulk  of  it  was  to  be  done  between  January 
and  April.  However,  he  resolved  to  try.  He 
applied  himself  so  arduously  to  it  that  at  the 
end  of  March  the  entrance  course  and  the  first 
two  years  in  the  Conference  Course  of  studies 
were  completed.  Rev.  J.  M.  Potter  and  Felix 
had  been  corresponding  with  Rev.  Ami  S.  Ladd, 
of  blessed  memory,  concerning  their  intention. 
On  the  fifteenth  day  of  April,  Felix  found  him- 
self in  Bridgton,  Maine,  where  the  conference 
met  for  its  annual  session.  Here  he  passed 
two  examinations  before  committees,  having 
squared  up  another  paper  with  the  Rev.  Chas.  F. 
Parsons,  a  member  of  the  Examining  Board, 
who  had  previously  received  an  examination 
sermon  from  him,  but  being  so  badly  scribbled 
that  the  examiner  was  compelled  to  write  to 
Felix  these  words,  "My  dear  Mr.  Powell,  while 
I  am  accustomed  to  read  almost  any  kind  of 
writings,  I  must  confess  to  you  that  I  cannot 
read  one  half  of  what  you  have  written  on  these 
pages."  There  was  a  reason.  All  the  other 
papers  had  been  typewritten. 

Felix's  admission  to  the  conference  was 
rather  interesting.  Many  objections  were 
given  why  he  should  not  be  ordained  deacon. 
His  nationality,  his  lack  of  knowledge  of  the 
American  people,  his  meager  knowledge  of  the 

124 


FELIX  TACKLING  HIS  JOB 

English  language,  these  and  other  objections 
were  brought  forth  why  he  should  not  be  taken 
in  under  the  Seminary  Rule.  Felix  will  never 
forget  how,  after  a  certain  member  of  the  con- 
ference made  objection  on  the  basis  that  he 
could  not  speak  the  English  language,  another 
brother  arose  and  said  to  the  Bishop  and  mem- 
bers of  the  conference,  that  he  had  known 
Felix  for  years  and  that  to  his  knowledge,  he 
could  speak  the  English  language  much  better 
than  the  gentleman  who  had  just  made  ob- 
jection on  that  point.  There  was  a  little 
merriment  in  the  house  and  after  having  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  Bishop  to  call  for  Felix 
on  the  platform  that  they  might  at  least,  take 
a  look  at  him,  the  Bishop  arose  and  after 
smiling  a  little  said,  "Brethren,  I  don't  see  but 
that  he  looks  all  right." 

Felix  was  then  voted  upon  to  be  taken  into  the 
conference.  Thus  far,  so  well.  But  the  worst 
was  yet  to  come.  They  said  among  them- 
selves, "Now  we  have  taken  him,  where  shall 
we  send  him,  where  can  he  do  the  least  harm?" 
To  their  rescue  came  Dr.  Ladd,  who  said,  "I 
have  a  place  for  him  where  there  is  no  danger 
of  his  doing  more  harm  than  has  been  done.  For 
there  is  very  httle  to  harm."  Saturday  after- 
noon, Felix,  in  company  with  Rev.  James  M. 
Potter,  who  also  joined  the  Conference  under 
the  same  Rule,  went  to  see  Dr.  Ladd  and  asked 

125 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

if  they  could  know  where  he  was  going  to  send 
them.  The  doctor  smiled  very  graciously  and 
said  to  Mr.  Potter,  "I  am  going  to  send  you  to 
West  Baldwin  and  Hiram,  a  charge  paying 
around  five  hundred  dollars  salary."  Then  he 
said  to  Felix,  "I  am  going  to  send  you  to  Long 
Island,  Portland."  When  Felix  heard  the  word 
Portland,  his  heart  leaped  within  him  for  joy, 
thinking  he  was  to  be  sent  to  a  city  charge. 
Opening  the  minutes  of  the  preceding  year  he 
began  to  look  up  what  had  been  reported 
relating  to  the  same.  Here  is  what  he  found: 
Membership,  nine,  Sunday  School,  thirty-five; 
parsonage,  none;  benevolences,  two  dollars; 
salary,  none.  Felix's  heart  began  to  beat  a 
little  bit  faster  than  normal  and  going  to  his 
lodging  place  he  spent  a  night  of  agony.  Surely, 
discouraged  he  was,  as  Mr.  Potter  can  truth- 
fully witness  to-day.  However,  after  much 
praying,  the  Holy  Spirit  brought  to  his  remem- 
brance the  promise  which  he  had  made  to  God, 
when  he  was  called  to  preach,  that  whatever  lot 
his  might  be,  he  would  say,  "Thy  will  and  not 
mine  be  done."  Rising  from  his  knees  he  said, 
"I  will  go,  let  come  what  may."  Sunday, 
April  19,  he  was  ordained  deacon  by  that  won- 
derful man,  who  is  now  in  glory.  Bishop  An- 
drews. At  four  o'clock  that  very  afternoon,  the 
appointments  were  read  and  when  Felix's  was 
read  off  for  Long  Island,  his  predecessor,  out  of 

126 


ESTHER  KLTII         ALCER  VIRCilXIA 


REV.  FELIX  POWELL 

At  the  ag-e  of  thirty-nine  as  Pastor  in  the 
City  of  Berlin,  N.  H. 


MRS.  FELLX  POWELL 


FELIX  TACKLING  HIS  JOB 

a  heart  full  of  sympathy  for  him  said  right 
aloud,  "Poor  boy,  he  will  be  starved  down 
there."  Felix  heard  this  and  again  tears  came 
into  his  eyes. 

He  went  alone,  but  he  was  not  to  be  alone 
many  days  longer.  During  his  school  days, 
at  Drew,  Felix  met  Miss  Marion  Card,  of 
Parsippany,  N.  J.  As  this  charge  was  supplied 
by  a  student  from  Drew,  he  asked  Felix  if  he 
would  not  assist  in  some  revival  services.  Felix 
gladly  gave  what  help  he  could  and  it  was  at 
this  time  that  he  met  Miss  Card.  Their  slight 
acquaintance  grew  into  genuine  love  and  with- 
in a  year's  time  they  were  united  in  marriage 
by  the  Rev.  Chas.  W.  Blackman,  of  Peaks 
Island,  Me.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  the 
half  finished  little  parsonage  on  Long  Island, 
Me.,  in  the  presence  of  many  parishoners.  To 
them  four  children  have  been  given,  Alger 
Felix,  ten,  Esther  Alice,  eight,  Virginia  Emma, 
six,  and  Ruth  Madeline,  four  years  of  age. 

Sunday  came.  Preaching  was  at  two-thirty, 
which  had  been  preceded  by  the  Sunday 
School  hour.  About  fifteen  people  came  to 
Sunday  School,  and  twenty-three  to  preaching 
service.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon,  Felix  asked 
the  only  man  present,  as  to  where  the  people 
were.  For  an  answer  he  got  the  following: 
"What  do  you  call  these?  Are  they  not  people?" 
And  then  said  he  with  a  peculiar  emphasis, 

127 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

"You  stay  here  three  weeks  and  instead  of 
twenty-three,  you  won't  have  six."  Not  very 
encouraging  this.  However,  FeUx  had  done 
his  best  that  afternoon,  and  the  few  children 
who  were  present,  went  about  spreading  the 
news  concerning  the  new  preacher;  and  what 
they  said,  we  will  not  mention  here.  "This 
know,"  said  he,  "in  the  evening  there  were 
one  hundred  and  nine  present."  Seeing  this, 
he  changed  his  preaching  service  from  two- 
thirty  p.m.  to  seven-thirty  and  the  seven-thirty 
service  to  ten  forty-five. 

"The  people  began  to  come,"  said  he,  "and 
conversions  were  taking  place  in  almost  every 
service.  The  Sunday  School  grew  larger  every 
Sunday."  At  the  close  of  the  first  year's  work 
he  went  to  the  conference  with  a  fine  report 
and  when  he  came  up  for  continuation  of  his 
fourth  year's  study  the  Presiding  Elder  arose, 
so  Felix's  wife  reported  to  him  afterwards,  and 
said,  "All  I  have  to  say  about  him  is  this: 
I  wish  that  it  might  rain  for  a  week  and  rain 
nothing  else  but  Felixes."  Felix  was  returned 
to  that  charge  for  the  fourth  year.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  third  year  he  was  compelled 
to  enlarge  the  church,  for  the  crowd  grew  so 
that  it  was  impossible  to  accommodate  them  all 
in  fairly  decent  condition.  When  he  made  his 
report  at  the  close  of  the  fourth  year,  it  was 
something    like    the    following:    Membership, 

128 


FELIX  TACKLING  HIS  JOB 

fifty-five;  Sunday  School,  one  hundred  and 
eight;  Benevolences,  over  one  hundred  dollars; 
and  salary  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  cash. 
Somewhat  different  from  what  he  had  seen  in 
the  minutes  of  four  years  previous. 

To  him  there  then  came  a  call  from  the  city  of 
Berlin,  N.  H.,  to  serve  that  charge.  This  city 
had  a  population  of  about  fourteen  thousand. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had,  at  that 
time,  sixty-eight  members;  Sunday  School,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-eight;  cash  salary,  four 
hundred  and  thirty-two  dollars,  and  a  debt  of 
four  thousand  dollars  resting  on  the  church  and 
parsonage.  During  his  ministry  there,  Felix 
and  his  church  entertained  the  Maine  Con- 
ference, and  at  the  end  of  four  years  paid  the 
total  debt.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  year,  he  left 
the  charge  with  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  mem- 
bers; three  hundred  and  forty-five  in  the  Sunday 
School,  and  a  cash  salary  of  one  thousand  dol- 
lars. During  the  fifth  year  of  his  ministry  there, 
over  one  thousand  dollars  were  spent  to  en- 
large the  vestry,  put  in  a  new  heating  apparatus, 
and  for  general  improvements  in  every  line. 
Blessed  indeed  were  the  six  years  that  Felix 
spent  with  this  faithful  people. 

The  South  Portland  Peoples'  Church,  was  his 
third  pastorate,  at  which  place  he  is  now  toiling. 
Most  auspicious  is  his  work  here.  A  faithful 
official  board,  an  efficient  Sunday  School  super- 

129 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

intendent,  a  loyal  membership,  and  a  large  con- 
stituency enable  him  to  be  at  his  best  both  with 
God  and  men.  The  congregation  has  more 
than  doubled,  particularly  that  of  Sunday  eve- 
ning, when  nearly  three  hundred  assemble  to 
worship  God.  Over  one  hundred  and  forty 
souls  have  already  declared  their  allegiance  to 
God  and  many  of  them  have  become  efficient 
workers  in  the  church  of  their  choice. 

During  the  twelve  years  of  Felix's  ministry, 
he  has  helped  scores  of  brethren  all  over  New 
England,  in  revival  work,  has  lectured  more  than 
two  hundred  times  on  various  subjects,  and  is 
now  daily  refusing  calls  for  this  kind  of  work, 
on  account  of  the  large  responsibility  which  his 
large  pastorate  brings  upon  him.  Five  hundred 
and  fifteen  conversions  to  Jesus  Christ  has 
crowned  his  ministry  thus  far. 

My  people,  I  do  not  know  whether  by  adding 
a  word  to  what  you  have  already  heard  to- 
night, concerning  the  almost  phenomenal  career 
of  Felix,  will  spoil  its  message  or  emphasize 
its  truth.  But  a  word  might  not  be  amiss  when 
I  say  that  these  foreigners,  who  are  reaching 
our  shores  year  in  and  year  out,  have  the  stuff 
of  life  in  them.  If  we  neglect  our  duty  in  looking 
after  them,  they  will  eventually  un-Christianize 
America,  but  if  we  welcome  them,  take  care  of 
them,  educate  them,  and  give  them  one-half 
the  chance  they  are  entitled  to,  then  not  only 

130 


FELIX  TACKLING   HIS  JOB 

will  they  become  Christians  themselves,  but 
they  will  become  some  of  the  finest  workers  in 
the  Protestant  world.  Some  of  the  mightiest 
educators,  some  of  the  noblest  social  workers 
among  the  needy,  some  of  the  greatest  religious 
leaders  of  to-day,  are  of  foreign  birth.  It  will 
not  be  many  years  hence  when  your  own  city 
will  become  largely  populated  with  foreign  ele- 
ments, and  if  we  resolve  to-night  to  go  out  from 
this  church,  and  Jesus  like,  go  among  these 
people,  treating  them  as  brothers  in  Jesus 
Christ,  asking  them  to  forsake  sin,  and  begin  to 
live  clean  lives  then  this  church  will  be  in  better 
condition  to  do  work  fifty  years  from  now  than 
it  is  at  this  time.  These  people,  finding  our 
Christ,  with  their  new  found  experience,  their 
naive  characteristics,  their  profound  enthusi- 
asm, their  burning  earnestness,  their  natural 
ability  as  speakers,  their  unquestioned  sin- 
cerity, and  matchless  love  for  lost  souls,  will 
make  mighty  spiritual  dynamos  for  the  King- 
dom of  our  God  and  His  Christ.  Go  forth  and 
win  them  to-day. 


131 


FELIX  AND  HIS  HELPERS 


A^ 


CHAPTER  XI 

FELIX   AND    HIS   HELPERS 

S  the  horse  draws  its  load  along  the  broken 
_  _.  path  the  driver  walks  by  its  side.     When 
there  is  an  ugly  rut  in  the  path,  he  gently  turns 
the  horse  aside  from  it.    When  a  large  stone  has 
fallen  on  the  road,  he  removes  it  out  of  the  way 
of  the  wheels.     When  there  is  a  stiff  bit  of 
ascent  to  meet,  he  pats  the  horse  and  puts  it 
to  its  mettle,  but  when  the  way  is  level  and 
clear,  he  leaves  the  horse  pretty  much  to  its 
own  devices.    All  that  is  useful,  all  that  is  kind, 
all  that  is  helpful;  but  please  remember  that 
it  is  the  horse  that  must  always  draw  the  load."^ 
"Parents,     friends,     teachers,    institutions," 
said  Felix  to  me,   as  he  continued  his  story, 
"greatly   assisted    me    through    the    struggles 
of  life,  but  I  was  never  unmindful  of  the  fact 
that  much  of  the  load  was  to  be  carried  by  my- 
self," said  he,  "from  the  time  that  I  can  remem- 
ber'anything  about  myself,  I    always   had   an 
ambition  to  succeed  in  whatsoever  I  undertook 
to  do.     As  a  common  laborer,  I  was  known  as 
the  hardest  working  man  in  the  crew.    Because 
of  it,  I  was  promoted  from  being  a  common 
laborer  to  that  of  superintendent." 

Here   he   related   to   me   one   or   two  things 

135 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

which  gave  me  the  key  of  his  inner  make-up. 
After  he  arrived  in  New  York  from  Italy,  he 
was  determined  to  get  a  loaf  of  bread  at  any 
cost.    Marching  up  from  the  Battery  on  his  way 
to  Mulberry  Street,  he  was  in  sight  of  a  bakery 
shop.    On  the  inside  of  the  windows  there  were 
displayed  various  kinds  of  food  stuff,  such  as 
cakes,  pies,  cookies,  and  bread.    Felix's  hunger 
was  so  intense  that  he  could  no  longer  refrain 
from  going  after  a  loaf  of  bread.     Laying  the 
bundle,  which  he  was  carrying  on  his  shoulders* 
onto  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  the  shop,  he  went  in. 
There  he  found  a  most  beautiful  young  lady, 
dressed  in  white  and  so  immaculate  that  he 
thought  her  to  be  an  angel.    He  bowed  grace- 
fully, and  then  proceeded  to  ask  for  the  bread, 
but  to  his  amazement  and  surprise,  she  looked 
at  him  and  smiling  nodded  her  head.     Felix 
could  not  understand  why  she  would  not  wait 
upon  him.    Then  it  all  came  back  to  him  what 
his  relative,  who  had  returned  from  America 
to  his  native  town,  had  told  him  before  he  left 
for  America,  that  the  people  in  America  spoke 
another  language  and  did  not  understand  the 
Italian.    Felix  remembering  this,  became  some- 
what discouraged,   but  did  not  despair.     He 
thought  for  a  moment,  and  then  looking  where 
the  bread  was,  he  opened  his  good  sized  mouth, 
and  with  the  aid  of  a  gesture,  he  murmured 
something,   which   no   mortal   could   tell   and 

136 


FELIX  AND  HIS  HELPERS 

immediately  he  got  his  loaf.  But  the  end  of 
the  trouble  had  not  yet  been  reached.  He 
knew  enough  to  give  her  ten  cents  for  the  price 
of  the  bread,  but  when  she  examined  it  and 
found  that  it  was  Italian  money,  more  trouble 
followed.  The  young  woman  said  something 
which  was  just  as  intelligible  to  him  as  what 
he  had  previously  said,  was  to  her.  However, 
meanwhile  Felix  was  making  a  pretty  good 
head-way  into  his  loaf.  He  had  bitten  into  a 
half  dozen  places,  and  owing  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  not  washed  his  face  for  sometime,  where- 
ever  his  lips  had  touched  the  bread,  it  had  left 
some  black  marks.  Seeing  that  the  young 
woman  refused  to  take  the  money  he  pleadingly 
looked  into  her  face,  and  said,  "You  can  have 
the  bread  back  if  you  want  it."  To  this  the 
girl  nodded  a  strong  "No."  Thus  Felix  left 
the  bakery  shop  thankfully  devouring  the 
bread  and  thinking  within  himself  "surely  it 
pays  to  stick." 

Here  is  another  incident  which  can  best 
illustrate  something  of  Felix's  grit,  push  and 
tact.  In  the  year  1893,  he,  with  a  large  number 
of  his  countrymen,  was  working  in  Whitehall, 
N.  Y.  About  twenty  men  were  lodging  in  a 
single  room.  The  cooking,  of  course,  was  done 
in  little  shanties,  built  out  of  doors,  for  that 
purpose.  The  filth  in  that  sleeping  room  grew 
apace  and  in  order  to  get  rid  of  some  of  it,  a 

137 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

broom  was  sought, — but  who  should  go  to  the 
store  to  purchase  it,  that  was  another  part  of 
the  story.  Fehx,  by  this  time,  had  learned  a 
few  words  of  the  English  language;  at  any  rate, 
he  thought  so.  The  men  delegated  him  for  the 
task.  Entering  a  large  store  he  innocently 
began  to  enquire  for  the  article.  A  good  natured 
gentleman  smiled  upon  the  young  fellow  and 
after  a  while,  seeing  that  he  did  not  or  could 
not  understand,  he  asked  Felix  to  follow  him 
into  the  different  parts  of  the  store.  To  Felix 
were  shown  potatoes,  eggs,  bread,  onions  and 
many  other  articles,  but  he  did  not  show  him 
the  broom.  Finally,  he  gave  up  in  despair,  and 
said,  "I  cannot  understand  you."  Then  to 
make  things  worse,  he  was  communicating  his 
experience  to  other  clerks  in  the  store,  and  they, 
turning  to  Felix  began  to  laugh.  But  Felix 
was  not  to  be  downed  in  this  wise.  He,  walking 
slowly  toward  the  counter  where  he  saw  some 
dust  lying,  and  calling  the  clerk  to  him  said, 
"Sir,  me  want  dis."  Meanwhile  blowing  the 
dust  off  the  counter.  The  dust  went  into  the 
clerk's  eyes.  Within  a  minute  he  got  his  broom. 
Of  course  this  provoked  a  great  laughter  from 
all  those  present,  but  never  mind  that  part  of 
it;  the  point  is,  Felix  was  bound  to  get  his 
broom, — and  he  got  it. 

Just  one  more  instance   and   then  we  will 
take  up  another  phase  of  this  subject.    During 

138 


FELIX  AND  HIS  HELPERS 

his  second  year  at  Kent's  Hill  Seminary,  he 
undertook  the  study  of  Civil  Government  under 
the  instruction  of  Miss  Gertrude  Stone,  now  a 
teacher  at  the  State  Normal  School,  at  Gorham, 
Maine.  In  the  course  of  a  recitation  the  word 
"lever"  came  up  for  discussion,  and  the  teacher 
asked  different  members  of  the  class  what  was 
the  meaning  of  it.  No  one  seemed  to  be  very 
anxious  to  give  an  answer.  Seeing  this,  Felix 
felt  somewhat  embarrassed  for  the  class,  and 
lifted  his  hand,  and  the  teacher  asked,  'Sir, 
what  is  the  meaning  of  'lever'?"  Felix  shouted 
right  aloud,  at  the  same  time  placing  his  hand 
toward  the  region  where  the  liver  resides,  and 
said,  "We  all  have  a  liver."  What  took  place 
in  that  class-room  for  the  next  few  moments 
can  only  be  imagined. 

In  these  incidents  we  are  led  into  the  inner 
make-up  of  Felix's  life.  But  here  we  must  not 
ignore  the  help  that  came  to  him  from  and 
through  God's  people.  You  will  remember 
what  he  said  concerning  Mr.  G.  M.  Powers  of 
Topsham,  Maine.  That  man  said  to  him,  after 
he  left  him  for  school,  "Felix,  the  doors  of  my 
home  are  always  open  to  you,  and  whatever 
there  is  in  my  power  to  help  you  at  any  time, 
just  let  me  know,  and  all  is  at  your  disposal." 
You  will  also  remember  what  he  said  about 
Mrs.  Clara  E.  Smith  of  Brunswick,  when  he 
decided  to  enter  Kent's  Hill.    That  elect  lady 

139 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

took  a  pillow-case  and  going  through  the  house, 
she  filled  it  with  almost  every  imaginable 
article  which  she  knew  he  would  need. 

At  the  school  almost  every  student  became 
interested  in  Felix,  and  helped  him  in  every  way 
possible.  The  citizens  of  the  place,  both  in 
Kent's  Hill,  Me.,  and  Madison,  N.  J.,  finding 
out  that  he  could  do  general  house  cleaning, 
gave  him  all  the  work  he  could  manage.  Dr. 
Chas.  W.  Gallagher,  at  that  time  president  of 
the  school  at  Kent's  Hill,  and  his  wife,  were  a 
source  of  constant  inspiration  to  him.  Professor 
Newton,  now  principal  there,  Professor  Adel- 
bert  Caldwell,  now  of  De  Paw  University  and 
Professor  Henry  Trefethen  of  Colby  College, 
took  a  deep  interest  in  Felix  and  their  services 
were  ever  at  his  command. 

At  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  President 
Buttz  became  a  real  spiritual  father  to  him,  and 
with  the  continual  sympathy  and  support  of 
his  wonderful  body  of  teachers,  such  men  as 
Drs.  Upham,  Curtis,  Rogers,  Sitterly,  and 
Faulkner,  Felix  managed  to  move  on  to  victory. 

The  Board  of  Education  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  assisted  him  financially, 
loaning  him  four  hundred  and  twenty  dollars 
during  his  eight  years  of  school  life.  To  this 
Board,  he  is  under  great  debt,  for  it  came  to 
his  rescue  at  the  nick  of  time. 

As  we  learned,  from  previous  addresses,  that 

140 


FELIX  AND  HIS  WORKERS 

his  charges  being  small  and  therefore  his  salary 
not  very  large  and  further,  having  a  family  of 
six  to  support,  he  could  not  see  how  he  would 
ever  be  able  to  satisfy  that  Board.  After  some 
correspondence  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Board, 
Felix  received  a  note  from  him  bearing  a  mes- 
sage to  this  effect  that  the  Board  of  Managers 
had  met  and  after  due  consideration  of  his  case, 
they  instructed  him  to  cancel  that  loan  against 
Felix.  No  reader  of  this  statement  can  possibly 
imagine  the  joy  which  thrilled  Felix's  soul. 

And  now,  my  dear  people,  what  has  all  this 
to  do  with  us  here  to-night?  Much  every  way. 
The  old  saying  that  God  helps  those  who  help 
themselves  has  some  truth  in  it.  Paul  said  that 
we  are  to  work  together  with  God.  And  that  we 
are  to  work  out  our  own  salvation.  The  little 
girl  had  it  right  when  she  was  asked,  "Who 
made  you?"  Answered  in  her  child-like  sim- 
pUcity,  "God  made  me  that  long,  and  I  growed 
the  rest  myself."  Some  great  scholar  has  said 
that  man's  life  is  made  up  of  only  three  per  cent 
of  freedom  and  the  remainder  of  mere  necessity. 

God,  through  Jesus  Christ  has  cancelled  all 
sins  against  us.  He  has  buried  them  under  the 
depths  of  the  sea.  He  has  separated  them  as 
far  from  us  as  the  east  is  from  the  west.  He  has 
blotted  them  out  from  the  Book  of  Life  to 
remember  them  against  us  no  more,  thank  God. 
He  has  cleansed,  washed,  permeated  and  re- 

141 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

deemed  these  souls  at  a  great  price.  The  great 
transaction  was  wrought  on  Calvary.  We  are 
conscious  of  our  sonship  because  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  given  unto  us  to  bear  witness  with  our  spirit 
that  we  are  God's  children.  He  has  put  our  feet 
upon  the  rock  to  stay,  and  a  song  in  our  mouths 
to  sing  of  His  goodness  and  mercy.  He  has 
given  us  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  All 
these  things  God  has  done  for  us  and  much  more 
has  He  promised  to  do.  But,  my  dear  people,  I 
plead  with  you,  with  all  the  power  that  a  human 
being  is  capable  of  wielding,  with  all  the  passion 
and  red-blood  earnestness  within  a  mortal  soul,  I 
plead  with  you  to  be  always  on  your  guard,  to 
watch  and  pray,  to  attend  all  means  of  grace 
which  this  church  offers  you,  to  so  work  as 
though  there  is  no  God  and  then  depend  upon 
Him  as  though  you  had  not  worked  at  all,  and 
with  the  poet  continually  sing: 

My  soul  be  on  thy  guard; 

Ten  thousand  foes  arise; 
The  hosts  of  sin  are  pressing  hard. 

To  draw  thee  from  the  skies. 


142 


FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT 
OF  THE  PROMISE 


CHAPTER  XII 

FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  THE  PROMISE 

"  \7et  it  is  the  truth  that  I  am  telling  you, 
I  it  is  to  your  advantage  that  I  go  away. 
For  unless  I  go  away,  the  Advocate  will  not 
come  to  you;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  Him  to 
you  *  *  *  I  have  much  more  to  say 
to  you,  but  you  are  unable  at  present  to  bear 
the  burden  of  it.  But  when  He  is  come,  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  the 
truth;  for  He  will  not  speak  as  Himself  origi- 
nating what  He  says,  but  all  that  He  hears  He 
will  speak,  and  will  make  known  the  future  to 
you."    Jesus  Christ. 

At  length,  on  the  day  of  the  Harvest  Festival, 
they  had  all  met  in  one  place;  when  suddenly 
there  came  from  the  sky  a  sound  as  of  a  strong 
rushing  blast  of  wind.  This  filled  the  whole 
house  where  they  were  sitting;  and  they  saw 
tongues  of  what  looked  like  fire  distributing 
themselves  over  the  assembly,  and  on  the  head 
of  each  person,  a  tongue  alighted.  They  were  all 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  began  to  speak 
in  foreign  languages  according  as  the  Spirit 
gave    them   words    to    utter  *  *  * 

And  Peter  replied  and  said,  "Repent   and  be 
baptized,   every  one  of  you,  in  the  name    of 

145 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

Jesus  Christ  with  a  view  to  the  remission  of 
your  sins,  and  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  For  to  you  belongs  the  promise  and 
to  your  children  and  to  all  who  are  far  off,  who- 
ever the  Lord  our  God  may  call.'''  Acts  II. 

In  the  course  of  my  conversation  with  Felix 
he  said,  "I  have  an  experience  in  my  life  which 
I  prize  above  all  other  experiences,  and  which 
I  consider  to  be  the  key  to  my  small  achieve- 
ments. When  I  was  converted  to  Jesus  Christ, 
in  that  little  Methodist  Church  in  Brunswick, 
Maine,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  if  God  spared 
me  to  live  any  length  of  time  I  would  try  to 
go  the  whole  length  in  the  quest  of  the  Christian 
life  and  obtain  the  highest  New  Testament 
standard  of  Christian  experience.  I  was  bound 
to  have  the  whole  or  nothing.  So  far  as  I  then 
knew  I  was  walking  in  what  light  I  had.  I 
began  to  read  the  Bible  daily  and  assimilate 
such  truth  as  I  could  grasp.  During  my  days 
at  Kent's  Hill  I  heard  now  and  then,  some 
young  fellow  speak  of  his  personal  Pentecost- 
My  eyes  began  to  open  to  the  Biblical  truth 
of  it,  but  nothing  was  clear  as  yet.  My  brief 
association  with  Rev.  G.  M.  Powers  of  Tops- 
ham,  Me.,  brought  me  face  to  face  with  an 
experience  which  that  man  was  enjoying  and 
of  which  I  was  totally  ignorant.  Meanwhile 
I  continued  reading  the  Bible  and  trying  to 
catch  a  gUmpse  of  what  it  taught.     However, 

146 


FELIX  AND  THE   FULFILMENT 

even  then  the  Bible  seemed  to  be  a  sealed  book 
to  me.  I  didn't  reahze,  of  course,  that  without 
the  personal  presence  of  the  Anointer  in  the 
heart  that  Book  will  not  reveal  its  spiritual 
message. 

Upon  my  entering  Drew  Theological  Semi- 
nary my  hunger  to  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness 
of  God,  intensified.  Of  course  studying  the 
Bible  in  its  original  language  and  the  reading 
of  theological  books  and  the  constant  asso- 
ciation with  the  students  and  the  professors 
increased  my  desire  for  a  Pentecostal  experience. 
Who  could  ever  sit  at  the  feet  of  that  blessed 
man.  President  Henry  A.  Buttz,  without  being 
stimulated  to  know  more  of  that  man's  God? 
"To  my  judgment,"  said  Felix,  "if  there  ever 
was  a  man  who  exemplified  the  life  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  who  ever  was  an  embodiment  of  St. 
John  the  Beloved,  President  Buttz  was  the 
man.  Or  who  could  ever  listen  to  that  man, 
Olin  A.  Curtis,  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology, 
a  twentieth  century  St.  Paul,  without  being 
brought  to  a  full  realization  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  in  him?  All  the  professors  were  men 
of  God  and  I  shall  never  cease  to  thank  God 
for  leading  me  to  attend  that  school.  But  here," 
says  Felix,  "I  want  you  to  know  that  the  man 
who  did  the  most  for  me  at  this  critical  period 
was  a  fellow  student.  Rev.  Raymond  H.  Huse 
who  is  now  District    Superintendent  in  New 

147 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

Hampshire  Conference.  His  young  life  was 
ideal.  His  religious  experience  was  profound. 
His  portraying  of  the  experience  was  model. 
There  was  no  boasting,  no  setting  of  one's  self 
up  as  better  than  the  brethren.  No  great  adver- 
tising of  what  goods  he  had  in  possession ;  but  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  teaching  of  Jesus,  he 
made  his  life  to  shine  before  men,  and  I  saw 
that  light.  In  the  course  of  our  three  years' 
association  in  school,  I  always  objected  to  seek- 
ing for  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  basis  that  it  would 
cause  division  in  the  church  where  He  was 
preached.  But  how  patient  that  student  was 
and  said  in  substance,  that  when  such  an  ex- 
perience was  genuine  and  sanely  presented  to 
the  people,  such  would  not  be  the  case." 

Felix  said  that  at  one  time  the  Professor  of 
Systematic  Theology  gave  out  several  themes 
for  the  class  to  choose  from  and  write  an  essay 
upon.  Felix  chose,  "Purity  of  Heart."  After 
two  months  of  research  he  sat  down  and  wrote 
his  profound  conviction  namely,  that  purity 
of  heart  was  the  privilege  of  every  child  of  God. 
Here  Felix  showed  me  the  essay,  as  returned 
to  him  by  the  professor  after  examination,  bear- 
ing the  rank  of  94.  But  in  spite  of  all  this  he 
finished  his  work  at  Drew  and  entered  his  work 
in  his  first  pastorate  without  this  experience 
in  his  heart.  He  said  in  his  inimitable  way, 
"It  was  all  in  my  head,  and  if  any  one  should 

148 


FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT 

have  taken  my  head  off,  my  heart  would  have 
been  left  void." 

After  he  had  been  preaching  for  three  months 
or  more,  there  came  to  him,  at  the  close  of  a 
morning  service,  a  lady  who  wished  to  see  him 
for  a  few  moments.  Drawing  apart  into  one 
corner  of  the  little  white  chapel,  she  burst  into 
tears,  and  it  was  some  time  before  she  could 
collect  herself  so  as  to  be  able  to  make  her 
wants  known  to  him.  Finally  she  said,  "My 
dear  pastor,  some  ten  years  ago,  while  attending 
a  series  of  revival  meetings  in  a  certain  city, 
I  received  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  for 
some  years  after  that  I  enjoyed  His  abiding 
presence  in  my  heart.  But  my  father,  being  a 
a  Seventh  Day  Adventist,  began  to  persecute  me 
and  made  it  somewhat  hard  for  me  to  live  in 
peace  at  home,  though  I  never  rebelled  or  dis- 
obeyed or  neglected  the  means  of  grace.  Never- 
theless I  lost  Him.  Now  I  am  seeking  for  Him 
again,  and  will  you  not  help  me  in  this  hour  of 
spiritual  need?"  Felix  was  really  cornered. 
He  knew,  from  intellectual  standpoint,  what 
the  good  sister  was  talking  about,  but  he  was 
not  in  the  place  of  helping  her.  With  a  few 
mumbling  words  he  dismissed  her,  "But 
remember,"  said  Felix,  "that  the  arrow  had 
struck.  I  was  wounded.  I  went  home  pro- 
foundly disturbed  in  my  heart." 

From  that  time  on,  he  began  to  read  largely 

149 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

and  profoundly  on  the  subject  of  the  Higher 
Life.  He  sent  for  the  best  literature  and 
mingled  with  the  best  of  teachers.  Finally, 
after  two  months  of  such  procedure,  he  was  fully 
convinced  that  what  Jesus  had  said  to  His  dis- 
ciples, regarding  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
upon  them,  after  that  He  had  gone  back  to  His 
Father,  was  intended  not  only  for  them,  but  for 
everyone  who  yields  without  one  iota  of  reser- 
vation. He  learned  that  the  disciples  were  the 
children  of  God  or  else  their  names  would  not 
be  written  in  Heaven  and  that  they  must  have 
been  converted  men  or  else  Jesus  Christ  would 
not  have  sent  them  out  to  preach. 

He  learned  that  these  men,  after  having  com- 
plied with  Jesus'  teaching,  namely,  to  tarry  at 
Jerusalem,  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  that  Peter  proves  in  his  first  sermon  that 
this  was  not  for  them  only,  but  for  as  many  as 
the  Lord  God  would  call,  and  Felix  felt  that  it 
was  about  time  to  have  this  experience  fulfilled 
in  his  life.  One  Sabbath  morning,  after  having 
read  from  the  Bible  together  with  his  young 
wife,  they  knelt  in  prayer.  For  a  while  he 
struggled  and  like  Jacob,  wrestled  with  God  and 
finally  in  the  language  of  the  poet,  he  cried  out 
almost  in  despair: 

Come,  Holy  Spirit,  come. 

With  energy  divine. 
And  on  this  poor  benighted  soul 

With  beams  of  mercy  shine. 

150 


FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT 

0,  melt  this  frozen  heart; 

This  stubborn  will  subdue; 
Each  evil  passion  overcome. 

And  form  me  all  anew. 

The  profit  will  be  mine, 

But  Thine  shall  be  the  praise; 

And  unto  Thee  will  I  devote 
The  remnant  of  my  days. 

When  at  the  close  of  this  prayer,  Felix  seemed 
to  have  heard  a  voice  from  Heaven  saying,  "Be 
still  and  know  that  I  am  God."  For  a  few 
moments  he  waited  silently  before  Him,  when 
all  at  once  there  came  a  stream  of  warmest 
love  flooding  through  his  heart,  and  the  witness 
given  that  He  had  come  to  abide.  Rising  from 
his  knees,  he  rushed  to  the  church  where  the 
people  were  now  waiting,  and  without  much 
preliminary,  he  told  them  what  God  had  just 
done  for  him,  and  then  calling  for  an  altar  ser- 
vice, he  saw  every  soul  present  bow  before  God, 
a  scene  the  hke  of  which  he  had  never  before 
witnessed. 

There  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  congregation, 
and  blessed  was  his  ministry  among  them  there- 
after. Division!  There  have  been  none  so  far 
as  Felix  knows.  On  the  other  hand,  his  twelve 
years'  ministry  has  taught  him  that  the  people, 
everywhere,  are  hungry  for  just  such  teaching 
and  preaching. 

Do  you  wonder  that  I  felt  like  shouting 
Halleluiah,  as  Felix  finished  his  narration  to  me? 

151 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

I  was  led  to  feel  then,  as  I  do  to-day,  that  what 
the  church  of  Christ  needs  more  than  anything 
else  that  I  am  cognizant  of,  is  a  baptism  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire.  The  success  of  the 
fathers  in  the  church  of  the  living  God  must  be 
attributed  to  this.  The  disciples  were  clothed 
with  power.  Tongues  of  fire  were  imparted 
to  them  and  can  be  imparted  to  us  if  we,  like 
them,  are  willing  to  separate  ourselves  from  the 
world.  When  we  as  a  people,  receive  this  fire  in 
our  hearts,  then  several  things  will  come  to  pass. 

The  first  is  this,  that  our  minds  will  be  illumi- 
nated. All  light  comes  from  the  sun,  but 
remember  that  the  sun  is  a  ball  of  fire.  Why 
most  of  us  cannot  see  Him  in  all  His  beauty, 
grandeur  and  attractiveness  is  that  our  eyes 
have  not  as  yet  been  anointed  with  the  eye  salve 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Dan  Crawford's  mission 
into  Central  Africa,  to  give  the  people  a  Bible 
and  to  teach  them  how  to  read  that  Bible,  will 
be  a  complete  failure  unless  the  Holy  Spirit 
shall  teach  them  how  to  read  it  aright.  When 
He  abides  in  our  souls  we  shall  be  led  to  know 
more  in  one  month  with  Him  than  in  three 
years  in  any  secular  school.  He  will  take  the 
deep  things  of  God  and  reveal  them  to  each  of 
us. 

Again,  when  He  comes  to  domicile  with  us, 
the  spiritual  temperature  of  the  church  will  be 
raised.       All    heat   comes   from   the   sun,  but 

152 


FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT 

remember  that  the  sun  is  a  ball  of  fire.  When 
the  fire  from  Heaven  falls  upon  us,  we  shall  no 
more  be  frozen  together,  but  melted  in  tears 
and  warm  love  for  each  other,  and  for  the  lost. 
I  am  amazed  to  find  church  members  giving  a 
cold,  formal,  icy  reception  to  new  comers  while 
secular  fraternities  put  some  of  us  to  scorn  on 
this  point.  Shall  the  world  continue  to  be 
wiser  than  the  children  of  light?  God  forbid, 
but  they  will,  unless  we  now  claim  the  promise 
of  the  Father. 

And  once  more,  when  the  fire  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  set  burning  in  our  hearts,  then  shall 
we  have  the  power  both  with  God  and  with 
men.  All  the  power  there  is  in  this  world  is 
from  the  sun;  but  remember  that  the  sun  is  a 
ball  of  fire.  All  the  church  machineries  are  all 
right  in  their  places,  but  how  can  they  move 
efficiently  without  the  presence  of  the  great 
Monitor?  How  can  they  do  sublime  work  with- 
out the  Dynamo  of  Pentecost?  No  word  have 
I  against  machinery  in  our  great  church,  but 
one  word  I  have  on  lack  of  power  to  set  it 
going.  If  Methodism  continues  to  be  true  to 
her  historic  teaching,  she  will  eventually  solve 
the  problem  of  the  universal  salvation  of  the 
human  race.  I  am  glad  that  God  led  me 
into  this  great  church.  Faithful  to  her  teaching 
I  will  be. 

And  why  not,  say,  fourthly,  that  if  this  fire 

153 


THE  TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 

should  come  it  would  melt  even  the  stony 
hearts  of  infidels  and  scoffers?  Apply  your 
scissors,  your  axe,  your  hammer  to  that  piece 
of  steel,  and  failure  will  stare  you  in  the  face, 
but  put  it  under  that  hot  fire  yonder,  and  how 
long  before  it  is  heated  and  pliable  to  be 
moulded? 

Apply  your  philosophy,  your  languages,  your 
logic,  your  science  to  the  task  of  winning  a 
lost  soul,  and  how  long  will  it  be  before  you 
win  it?  But  bring  that  soul  in  touch  with  a 
heart  that  is  in  touch  with  the  Cross,  a  heart 
that  has  known  the  abiding  presence  of  the 
Third  Person  of  the  God-head,  and  lo  you  have 
won  that  soul.  Fire  melts,  the  Holy  Fire  also 
melts  stony  hearts  and  stubborn  wills  and 
leads  them  home  to  God. 

And  lastly,  fire  spreads.  The  story  of  the 
Chicago  fire  is  familiar  to  all.  Most  fires  are 
started  either  by  a  match  or  a  cigarette  or  a 
spark.  Yes,  every  revival  this  old  world  has 
ever  seen  was  started  by  some  one  who  had 
the  fire  of  God  burning  in  his  inner  life.  The 
history  of  every  reformation  proves  my  point. 
Methodism  began  when  Wesley's  heart  was 
strangely  warmed.  Nothing  can  warm  but  fire. 
No  man  with  a  burning  heart  will  keep  still. 

Dr.  Cortland  Myers,  of  Boston,  tells  a  very 
instructive  and  inspiring  story  concerning  a  cer- 
tain evangelist  who,  during  a  series  of  revival 

154 


FELIX  AND  THE  FULFILMENT 

meetings,  asked  an  elder  of  the  church  if  he  had 
ever  been  converted.  Receiving  an  answer  in 
the  aflTirmative,  the  evangelist  then  turned  upon 
him  and  said  very  earnestly,  "Then  sir,  get 
busy."  That  elder  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  that 
sharp  exhortation  at  first,  but  having  prayed 
over  it  he  came  to  the  conclusion,  after  having 
heard  from  Heaven,  that  he  had  better  get 
busy.  Nine  months  after  his  commission  from 
God,  he  came  to  his  pastor  with  the  report  that 
staggered  the  latter.  Two  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  men  had  been  brought  to  Jesus  Christ. 
The  elder  said  rejoicingly,  "Sir,  that's  my 
greatest  asset  in  life." 

My  Christian  people,  this  promise  is  for  you 
and  for  me,  and  why  not  have  all  God  has  for 
us?  My  young  converts,  what  you  have  thus  far 
experienced  is  fine,  and  it  will  grow  sweeter  as 
you  go  on,  and  I  pray  you  never  be  satisfied 
until  you  get  the  best.  Leave  the  second  best 
for  others,  but  so  far  as  you  are  concerned, 
resolve  to  get  the  best  and  then  your  life  will  be 
joyful,  as  well  as  fruitful.  May  you  never  lose 
sight  of  what  God  did  for  Felix,  and  never 
forget  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 


HERE  ENDS  THE  STORY  OF  THE 
TRANSFORMATION  OF  FELIX 
WRITTEN  BY  REV.  FELIX  POWELL 
AND  PRINTED  BY  SMITH  &  SALE 
PORTLAND,     ME.,     OCTOBER,    1915 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  834  422    8 


